This booklet examines the premises, practicalities, history, and politics of merit pay for teachers. A discussion of the current context of the merit-pay debate focuses on the claims made for merit-pay programs and the assumptions behind the proposals. Following an analysis of similarities and contrasts among merit-pay plans, the author gives…

Written to help Hispanics understand the electoral process more thoroughly and to encourage them to participate more actively in the political arena, this manual begins by describing the present status of the Hispanic electorate and then explains how laws are made, how Hispanics can influence legislation, and how to organize a voter registration…

These four journals contain articles on topics of current concern to community college trustees. The spring 1989 issue contains articles on the trustee role in assessing institutional effectiveness, the effect of workforce trends on community colleges, the art of passing a bond issue, the expansion of consumer programs in community colleges, the…

San Diego State University's Center for Latin American Studies operates as a national resource center for Latin America. Center activities focus on enhancing undergraduate and graduate programs, community outreach, and the cooperative relationship with a consortium partner, the Center for Iberian and Latin American Studies at the University of…

The mass media studies section of the proceedings includes the following 14 papers: "Media Use, Political Activity and the 'Climate of Opinion'" (Robert L. Stevenson and William J. Gonzenbach); "Seeing Is Believing: News as Cultural Ritual in Times of Disaster" (Sandra L. Haarsager); "Creativity and Creative Control in the…

Controversy surrounding private education involves questions of compulsory education's role in inculcating values, how much alike public and private schools should be, and the duty of educational institutions to conform to constitutional norms. This book examines government regulation and resistance, legislative and judicial approaches, and issues…

This document describes a study designed to identify: (1) typologies of nonparticipants in adult educational activities; (2) the attitudes, perceptions, and learning requirements of such groups and the factors that inhibit their participation; (3) effective methods of recruiting nonparticipants; (4) appropriate initial learning opportunities and…

The articles in this report describe current social conditions of blacks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and examine how government policies can affect such conditions. Brenda Maisha Jefferson Jackson discusses black housing opportunities and the negative impact of racial discrimination, political powerlessness, and economics on these…

An interdisciplinary course integrating political science, literature, and film is used at Bellarmine College in Kentucky as a vehicle for examining politics on the local, state, national and international levels. Four novels and their analogous films are used, corresponding to the respective political level--"The Last Hurrah,""All…

This five-part paper examines the role of teacher unions in Australian education at the state level. An overview describes the organizational strength of Australia's teacher unions. Part 1, "Teacher Union Growth," presents a history, and part 2, "Teacher Unions and State Education," interprets issues involving unions and…

Lessons to help K-12 students in Indiana learn about elections are provided. Indiana educators are required by law to provide for all students in grades 6-12 within the two weeks preceding each general election five full recitation periods of class discussion concerning the U.S. system of government, voting methods, party structures, and election…

Nineteen articles on the status of the relationship among educational research, policy, and practice around the world are collected in the 1985 edition of the "World Yearbook of Education." Contributors address the development of national policies on educational research in countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 25 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) superior-subordinate communication; (2) the effect of freedom of expression on role satisfaction; (3) the effects of certain risk factors on nurses'…

As exemplified by New Zealand, the nature of educational policy research is shaped by political and social factors that impinge upon the research environment. Following a description of the educational system and research funding methods, this paper analyzes three areas that affect policy research in New Zealand and addresses relevant social…

During the 1960's, the nations of the world strove to provide access to schools, especially primary schools, to all children, on the assumption that education was a necessary and sufficient precondition for economic development. This faith gave way, in the 1970's and 1980's, to worldwide skepticism about the linkage between education and economic…