Experiences of pilot-test state agencies in developing an information system are summarized, as part of the State Level Information Base project. The background and functions of each of the eight pilot-test state agencies are described, along with the information systems approach, and planning responsibilities (comprehensive planning, budgeting,…

An exploration of the decision-making processes of state legislators on public school finance issues focuses on major school finance changes that occurred in Michigan in 1973 and in Washington and Missouri in 1977. Roll call votes, primarily in the lower chambers of the state legislatures, on both selected amendments and the complete versions of…

Factors that 1983 National Merit and National Achievement Semifinalists in Maryland felt influenced their college choice were studied. The 143 survey respondents were asked to indicate how important 22 factors were in the selection of a college. The factors covered items dealing with the characteristics of the college, efforts by the institution…

Previous management research supports the view that comprehensive planning and participative decision-making are important factors in reducing community opposition to educational policies. To investigate the possibility that neither of these strategies necessarily has this effect, a survey was undertaken of 53 school districts that had experienced…

Although educational leaders have been coping with declining enrollment for almost a decade, educational researchers have begun to focus on the topic only recently. The first part of this introduction to a special issue of the Peabody Journal of Education briefly summarizes the contents of the subsequent essays, which are intended to bridge the…

Proceedings of the 1982 forum of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) and the 1982-1983 AIR Directory are presented. Titles and authors of general session addresses contained in section 1 are as follows: "On Quality: The Federal Connection" (David Pierpont Gardner); "New Initiatives of State Policy in Higher…

This teacher's manual is one volume of a six volume curriculum for the secondary level, designed to provide a systematic, group-oriented approach to decision-making in areas crucial to adolescent development: work, drug (substance) use and abuse, sexuality and social relationships, juvenile law, and people and government. The general goals of the…

Collaborative research can contribute to teachers' personal growth and professional development as well as to the coordination of instructional approaches and goals throughout the school. Collaborative research in teaching can be defined as research conducted inside the classroom by two or more individuals with different role orientations and…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 14 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) the effects of verbal and nonverbal affiliation on initial interactions between handicapped and nonhandicapped persons during employment interviews; (2)…

Capital improvements programming is one financial managment technique for providing public services within the constraints of limited financial resources--a particular problem for communities experiencing rapid population growth. Long-range planning and improvement of public facilities for water supply, sewage treatment, parks and recreation,…

A discussion is provided of the contributions of the study of the humanities towards the improvement of community college occupational education. After section I provides background information on the creation of a Shared Vision Task Force by the National Council for Occupational Education (NCOE) and the Community College Humanities Association…

Students must be actively involved in the process of learning for it to have personal meaning and importance in their lives. Teachers must also become critical thinkers, creative individuals, and decision makers in order to create more challenging learning environments. Teachers need to blend structure and spontaneity into meaningful learning…

Based on interviews with students and staff and several months of observing life and work in the school, this report examines Colorado's Mountain Open High School, where the program is based on the notion that secondary education should be the rite of passage from adolescence to mature adulthood. Chapter One introduces the people and facilities of…

Difficulties experienced by Wilkes College (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) as a result of declining enrollments and shifts in student majors, and the resolution of differences between the administration and the faculty, are described in an essay. Related revision of institutional mission and peer-evaluation procedures are also discussed in an article…

Prompted by a California State University trustee resolution in 1985 to offer an independent doctoral degree in education, this report aims to determine whether additional doctoral programs in educational administration are needed in California. It examines the history and professional uses of doctorates in education, and surveys perceptions of…