Academics in both the industrial world and developing countries face funding declines, growing state intervention, public hostility, and corporate pressure. Simultaneously, they are experiencing internal wars over policy, curriculum, and nature of scholarly communities. In North America debates about academic freedom center on tenure and free…

Few situations are more distressing for professional counselors than to know or suspect that a colleague is practicing while being impaired. Suggests appropriate steps an individual counselor might take to help an impaired colleague, using as a guide the ethical decision-making model developed by the American Counseling Association Ethics…

Provides tips for helping the public understand a school district's budget. Describes necessary parts of a simplified budget presentation and the $100 budget. Highlights a management-information software package called In$ite, developed by Coopers & Lybrand in conjunction with the US Chamber of Commerce. (LMI)

As local pressures mount and state resources dwindle, intermediary organizations are emerging throughout Latin America. Although theoretically enabling people at the grass roots to participate in their own development and reap the benefits of their labor, the costs and tensions are often not worth the burden. Explores the quandaries that new…

Examines three classes of theories (physiological, psychological, and sociological) traditionally used to explain the causes of male violence. Argues that searching for such causes in men may be counterproductive. Suggests a treatment approach that helps the violent man become both accountable and responsible for his violence. (FC)

Given the centrality of parent-professional partnerships in British government educational policy and the widespread reality of parent dissatisfaction, this article identifies key challenges to partnerships. These are: (1) defining partnership and associated processes; (2) achieving consensus about the purpose of the partnership and partner roles;…

Describes the philosophy and practical steps involved in doing outcomes assessment on student services. Discusses several assessment models, with special attention placed on Nichol's outcomes assessment template. Describes the process as applied at Lower Columbia College (Washington). (Contains two tables and seven references.) (NB)

Within the core of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) are a number of measures to hold states, school districts, schools, and school personnel more accountable for student progress. Summarizes state legislation and court cases concerning school administrators, tenure, collective bargaining, and personnel records. (Contains 32 references.) (MLF)

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…

This article discusses how the concept of efficiency in special education services is translated into specific practices. A paradigm is presented that quantifies a measure of student need, ties school allocations to student needs, tracks actual expenditures on special education, and links those expenditures to quantifiable measures of student…

Explored the relationship between score changes from the Maryland State Performance Assessment Program (1993 -1998) and classroom instruction and assessment, learning and motivation, beliefs about the assessment, and school characteristics. Several factors from each dimension explained a significant amount of variability in school performance over…

Longitudinal case study of reform efforts centering on the Talent Development Middle School model at low-performing, high-poverty middle school in Philadelphia. Finds that student gains in mathematics, science, and reading achievement at subject school exceeded that of students in comparable school. (Contains 19 references.) (PKP)

Promising educational practices focus on achievement for all students and present evidence to demonstrate their effectiveness. Schools that have broken the mold are vision-focused and values-based. The most hopeful strategy for sustained, substantive educational improvement involves developing school staff into professional learning communities in…

This paper reacts to testimony on early childhood special education research before the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education (EC 632 080). Noting the Commission's emphasis on accountability and results, it stresses the importance of being clear about desired outcomes, the need for sensitive and accurate ways of measuring…

Examines the current condition of the charter-school movement. On the one hand, the demand for and satisfaction of charter schools is high; on the other, opposition to charter schools is growing. Suggests that changes, including a national organization to press for accountability, are needed for the movement to succeed. (WFA)