Outlines the history of the Reverend Jesse Jackson's involvement in urban school reform and focuses particularly on Project PUSH-EXCEL: his positive self-image program for Black children. Reviews negative criticisms that have been made against Jackson but concludes that his efforts are both positive and necessary. (KH)

This collection of papers shows the significant achievements that can be made through collective strategies that empower the poor to become active partners in revitalizing their neighborhoods. The 12 chapters are: (1) "The Role of Social Capital in Combating Poverty" (Mark R. Warren, J. Phillip Thompson, and Susan Saegert); (2) "Social Capital and…

This article offers a critique of Eduardo Padron's administration at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) in Florida. Padron has been district president at MDCC since 1995. Almost immediately after his appointment, Padron moved to centralize the school's administration. He fired employees en masse, cut and consolidated sports programs, and began…

A qualitative study examined how formal and informal social and cultural learning for political action was incorporated into two women's organizations in Colombia: the Association of Daycare Mothers and the Community Mothers. Research was guided by the historic hermeneutic method, which identifies experience through the narrative testimonies of…

A historical and qualitative analysis of a northern urban de facto segregated school is presented that explains the unique factors of the school's history that led to the maintenance of the school today. The focus is on the school's context, its historical and present-day leadership, and its past and present teachers. In considering the school's…

Essays on language contact and the image of language, entirely in French, include: "Representations 'du' contexte et representations 'en' contexte? Eleves et enseignants face a l'apprentissage de la langue" ("Representations 'of' Context or Representations 'in' Context? Students and Teachers Facing Language Learning" (Laurent…

A survey commissioned by the National Education Association studied how state legislators, especially those in leadership positions, view the current landscape for higher education in their states. The findings are based on in-depth, one-on-one telephone interviews conducted from July 2000 through February 2001 with 64 house and senate education…

The social, political, and economic history of Sweden's higher education is outlined from the perspective of various factions trying to maintain control. Decentralization of the traditional power structure and social and technological change pose a challenge for a new educational strategy and policy. (MSE)

As educational systems evolved from consumption or culture-transmission devices to systems of investment in individuals, the rationale for public expenditure on education should have undergone a concomitant radical transformation. Instead, investment in many countries is still guided by political, cultural, and consumption criteria, resulting in…

While enrollment and demographic trends worry the higher education community in other states, Utah's higher education future is bright. Financial support from the Mormon Church, high birth rate, strong institutions (both public and private), a cohesive, conservative community, and large potential natural resources give optimism to the state. (MSE)

After two decades of increase, state funding for higher education is drying up because of inflation and declining state revenues due to recession. States need to reemphasize the importance of higher education. Political action may be the way to reverse the downward trend in state financing of higher education. (MLW)

Reforms in 1779 at the College of William and Mary caused a professor to be dismissed, after which he took legal action against the institution. It is concluded that English corporate law was abused in defending against the professor's action. (Journal availability: College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185, $3.00.) (MSE)

Examines low levels of Latino political participation using data from the Latino National Political Survey. Emphasizes differences among Latino subgroups (Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban) when analyzing voter participation. Shows that socioeconomic factors, such as education and income, may be mitigated by life-cycle effect variables, and all are…

History and legal status of academic freedom and institutional autonomy in Russian universities is traced from the eighteenth century. Conditions under which the universities currently function are described, recent legislation is reviewed, and the situation of St. Petersburg State University is specifically addressed. It is concluded that while…

The history of Moroccan universities established in the French colonial tradition is reviewed briefly, and two types of gains in academic freedom and autonomy in recent years are discussed: those made collectively by universities in relation to the central political authority, and those made by individual institutions in relation to each other.…