A study examined 61 examples of advocacy from 34 states and selected six sites for case studies. Factors that supported positive outcomes include advocates who are persistent, knowledgeable about both best practices in gifted education and local state political processes, and more often collaborative than adversarial. (Contains references.)…

A case study of a state advocacy group identifies four advocacy phases: educating all about the legislative process, building relationships, getting technical help, and setting goals; gaining recognition and learning to compromise; following a victory by publicizing the benefits and developing regulations; and maintaining relationships and…

The Kentucky governor's plan to remove the state's 14 community colleges from the control of the University of Kentucky and create a new system to administer technical and community colleges has created rancor in the university's community. Many business leaders and presidents of the seven other state universities have endorsed the governor's…

Presents four causes of the skepticism toward public education in the United States: negative portrayals by the media; the disengagement of educators because of constant criticism; apprehension caused by attacks on public education by far right groups; and the failure to make changes to ensure higher academic achievement. (AJL)

Discusses some new organizational forms and provides a taxonomy of these emergent forms in urban public education. Argues that the old urban school system's legitimacy has largely collapsed. Examines three institutional change features considered essential for reorganizing urban schools: a shifting balance among governance values; a stronger…

An ethnographic analysis of the schooling experiences of Muslim youth in Canada who are committed to maintaining Islamic lifestyles despite pressures to conform to the dominant culture, this article discusses how religious identity intersects with other forms of social difference (e.g., race and gender) in school experiences. Presents a case study…

The evolving mission and curriculum of Black colleges are discussed. Topics include the ideological conflict between accommodationism and liberal arts education as the focus for Black college education and the contributions of various Black colleges and educators. The evolution of teacher education at Black colleges is also discussed. (IAH)

A discussion of the issues addressed in a conference on the new eleventh and twelfth grade curriculum for Victoria (Australia) focuses on political aspects of curricular and educational change and policy formation. Implications for research on the social context within which educational policy is made are examined. (MSE)

Examines the foreign policy of the Reagan administration. Discusses the critics of the Reagan doctrine, focusing on the criticisms launched against his weapons' policies. Analyzes the policy course of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, outlining goals of the administration during the INF negotiations. Contends that Reagan's…

Discusses a rationalist approach to curriculum and the inherent underlying organizational premises. Outlines a critical approach to the culture of an educational organization. Considers curriculum as a component of culture and provides data from two postsecondary institutions. Discusses implications of a critical view of the organization and the…

A possible sex scandal involving a teacher and a teenage student rocked the community in Anchorage, Alaska. Privacy and labor laws and union contract forbade board members from discussing the retirement deal that had been negotiated with the accused teacher. Hindsight suggests board members should have shared what information they could with the…

Discusses the expansion and reform of educational programs of the developing nations by UNESCO in the early 1960s. Summarizes the economic quantitative approach utilized by UNESCO to problems of educational planning, including the response of the World Bank to this orientation. Describes the effects of external educational financing on world…

School district use of state educational reform is reviewed. Active users want to and can respond positively. A dominant coalition, which believes it can set its own agenda and sees the reforms as ways of meeting its own ends, promotes willingness. Systems for managing key change functions/linkages are essential. (TJH)

Interviews Ira Shor, who discusses the meaning of liberation education, the political nature of education, teacher education, and problems and possibilities associated with liberation education. (MG)

According to the view presented here, discipline-based art education (DBAE) is conceptually muddled and politically counterproductive when considered as a move to secure a place for the arts in the public school curriculum. The nature of DBAE is outlined, its shortcomings are identified, and an alternative to DBAE is proposed. (IAH)