Key policy actors in six states (Arizona, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin) indicate a strong national consensus about seven basic policy mechanisms. While school finance dominated policy making, personnel, testing, and program definition policies had importance, followed by school governance, curriculum materials,…

The confirmed existence of political culture in the attitudes of education policymakers in six states (Arizona, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginai, and Wisconsin) indicates that how education leaders decide about policy may depend less on what resources the states have than how leaders expect the political system to operate. (CB)

The complex and varied nature of state education policymaking is illustrated through six case studies detailing political influences at work in six states (Arizona, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin). (CB)

Four leading educators respond to 10 questions about the redesign of standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education that will alter that organization and thus affect teacher preparation and practice. (IW)

The main features of the 1986 Johnson and Hinton Report concerning the status and future of continuing education in Australia are examined as they relate to the broad spectrum of adult and continuing education, from informal community programs to the universities. Implications for higher education institutions are discussed. (MSE)

Reviews the social and educational problems caused by drug abuse. Poses policy questions that must be asked when developing school drug use policies and cites examples of the successful implementation of drug policies in two schools. Identifies critical aspects of the drug prevention curriculum. Urges cooperation between schools and local…

Salient issues in higher education policymaking and recent changes in appropriations levels are highlighted for each state and for the federal government. Also identified are the upcoming congressional agenda, hearings, regulations, new reports, and studies under consideration. (MSE)

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the National Center for Research in Vocational Education, the author provides an overview of center activities, including contributions in the areas of competency-based education, leadership development, equity and access, policy planning and evaluation, developing linkages, and dissemination of…

The more successful planning approaches lie in mobilizing the organization's support and readiness for planning, creating a climate in which successful planning can occur, involving constituents in the planning process, careful attention to communication, and the attention given to proper dissemination of process results. (MLW)

Australian government policy designed to achieve wider access to postsecondary education is outlined, and two different responses from the higher education community are compared. Strategies for developing student recruitment and admission policies and practices based on access goals are suggested. (MSE)

Reviews legal requirements for use of social science expertise in environmental impact statements and reasons for the general failure to include such input. Explores possibilities for improving social science involvement including legal challenges, cooperation with environmental and public interest groups, objective research, and more adversarial…

Describes how the talk of legislative policy makers in public forums builds a system of justification for their actions. Uses observations from a case study of the Utah State Legislature and develops a sociopragmatic perspective of argument fields. (PD)

Issues concerning the role of the humanities and humanistic education in public policy, social issues, and politics are discussed in the contexts of both More's "Utopia" and the contemporary political situation in the United States, emphasizing the importance of developing a humanistic approach to power. (MSE)

Future studies and policy studies have overlapping concerns; yet, too often, policy analysts and futurists are unaware of each other's work. To help correct this serious oversight, comparisons of these two complementary realms are made. A listing of futures-relevant and policy-relevant journals is included. (Author/RM)

Approaches to policymaking and implementation during Great Britain's reforms of the colleges of education in the 1970s are discussed, along with their implications for higher education in the future, based on a recent study, are discussed. (MSE)