The Conservative-led Coalition government in Britain is strongly committed to a programme of austerity. In the short term, this is a programme which makes more difficult the country's exit from a period of recession and slow growth; in the longer term, it threatens cuts and privatisation which call into question the welfare state. Yet,…

The article formally defines education and planning, then uses a political science perspective to view the planning process in American school districts, noting for what, for whom, and by whom planning is done; in what specific policy areas planning occurs; and how planning is accomplished. (SB)

Offers points for consideration by both school boards and charter-school advocates. Important elements of a successful charter school include vision, hands-on administrators, a commitment to staff development, and founders who also serve as maintainers. (LMI)

This paper assesses the current status and problems of the National Diffusion Network (NDN), a federally funded endeavor established to enable developers of educational programs to provide evidence that their programs improve student outcomes; and to disseminate their programs nationwide through a network of state facilitators. The study discusses…

The development of Tennessee's Master Teacher Program is described in this case study, the first in a series of project reports. Data were derived from interviews, document analysis, transcriptions and analyses of meetings, informal conversations, questionnaires, and monitoring of legislative sessions and committee hearings. Following an…

A discussion of school politics: the techniques educators use to advance their interests with their peers and with the community. (SJL)

Argues that the abolishment of the Disadvantaged Schools Program (DSP) in South Australia represented a shift away from a focus on the social to the individual, from curriculum to instruction, from school-based inquiry and teacher research to expert solutions, and from various contexted and contested outcomes to a singular and simplistic version…

According to superintendent of San Diego (California) City Schools, days are past when schools could concentrate simply on basic education and leave child's social, physical, psychological, and economic needs to others. New Beginnings, a collaborative effort to meet student and family needs, succeeds because participants developed shared…

Enactment of South Carolina's Education Improvement Act of 1984 taught several lessons about successful education reform. The law provides for raising student performance by increasing academic standards; strengthening the teaching and testing of basic skills; elevating the teaching profession; improving leadership, management, and fiscal…

This report of a conference on educational policies, patterns, and programs in the South summarizes the opinions presented by each major speaker. The following topics were discussed: (1) the continuing necessity of extending educational opportunity to all; (2) the signs of an emerging crisis--the growing number of disadvantaged children and an…

This researcher discusses what he has learned about the field of program evaluation and makes three observations: (1) Testing does not define key objectives in evaluation. (2) Politics influences what clients want to know. (3) Case studies are necessary for epistemological reasons. (LMO)

A comparative research project is being implemented to describe how curriculum guidelines are developed and applied in Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, and to compare the underlying structures and strategies that influence and determine curriculum work and curriculum-making at different levels of decision making and enactment.…

This document comprises a report on the architectural elements of choice in the desegregation process, a review of the choice process based on Minnesota's experience, and a statement of implications for state policymakers. The following organizational principles of the choice process are discussed: (1) enrollment based on a "first come, first…

This paper focuses on the ongoing development of an inservice teacher education program for teachers in Albania following the downfall in the early 1990s of a repressive totalitarian regime. The Kualida project's name is an acronym based on the Albanian words for training, distance, and teachers and is very close in sound to the Albanian…

Describes developments in the fields of learning theory, assessment, and politics of national and state assessments. Shows how use of these developments and modern assessment and evaluation methodologies can address some long-standing problems in Chapter 1 evaluation. Focuses on linking classroom and school improvement with Chapter 1 program…