The hypothesis of this paper is that the patterns of political influence on public school systems are changing. Public school systems are subject to so many political influences that one can raise the question, "Who governs?" The educational policy-making procedures seem to have become politicized in the wake of the turbulence of the 1960's. The…

This teacher's guide to unit three of the first-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course provides teaching instructions to meet the unit objectives. The guide outlines instructional objectives and procedures for each of the 16 activities described in the 12th-grade student materials. Each instructional procedure is designed to…

The 17 presentations of the second Decisions Ahead Conference reflect the contributions of several persons who are representatives of important contemporary vocational and career education issues. The topics on which the conference was planned represent significant views of researchers, conceptualizers, and practitioners which can assist in the…

This workbook presents lessons, workshop sessions, and laboratory exercises designed to help youth and adults clarify personal values and develop decision-making skills. The workbook (or "portable school") provides guidance in procedure and method of values clarification. The learning experiences involve users of the text in establishing criteria,…

The Rural Education Program (REP) of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) is developing a strategy for involving rural communities and school systems in a systematic problem solving process. This Rural Futures Development (RFD) Strategy is based on the theoretical works of such people as Havelock, Lippit, Bales, Williamson,…

A study considered criteria for the evaluation of computing resources for college students. The nature and status of instructional computing in higher education were examined in terms of the need for student access to computers, development of resources, and evaluation of the effectiveness of computer use. Current computer use was reviewed, and…

Study results and design for an Educational Technology Assessment Model (ETAM) are outlined, and conclusions and recommendations of the study are summarized. An eight-task procedure is provided to guide the assessor of a training innovation through the required data collection and analysis steps leading to a decision to accept, reject, or continue…

This is a report of the ACCESS (Alternative Comprehensive Community Environmental Study System), a prototype program in democratic policy making at the regional level. Presented first is a discussion of the relationship between science, technology, and regional policy and the use of visual communication for regional policy making. The second…

The increased use of criterion-referenced statewide testing programs is an outgrowth of the need for more diagnostic information for planning and decision making than is provided by norm-referenced programs. There remains, however, a need for state agencies to compare the results of local districts to a variety of comparison groups for the purpose…

The work of a three-year series of experimental studies of human cognition is summarized in this report. Proglem solving and learning in man-machine interaction was investigated, as well as relevant variables and processes. The work included four separate projects: (1) computer-aided problem solving, (2) computer-aided instruction techniques, (3)…

This document contains reports of research findings considered of special relevance for school board members. The introduction summarizes the project which involved selecting, abstracting, analyzing, and interpreting research on 27 topics. Each of the 27 resumes (written in "layman's language") includes questions, review of studies, implications,…

One of twelve case studies growing out of the Educational Governance Project, this report contains a description and an analysis of the process through which Minnesota State government establishes policy for its public elementary and secondary schools. This process is affected by many factors, such as the availability of fiscal and human…

The seven issues discussed represent a consolidation of the larger number of urgent educational problems that faced the States in 1966, as well as those identified by the Steering Committee of the Education Commission of the States at a meeting in December of that year. The issues were first assigned as paper discussion topics, the writing of…

A number of problems are identified and questions raised about the usefulness of conventional instruments of educational and psychological measurement in curriculum evaluation and research. Four purposes of curriculum evaluation data are identified: (1) advancement of science, (2) curriculum revision, (3) provision of data for the formulation of…

This five-volume report presents detailed procedures and findings of research on Japanese high school seniors, their choice of courses, educational and career expectations and preferences, and the extent to which these attitudes conform to relationships in Japanese labor markets. In an analysis of the transition from secondary school to college or…