In current literature on Canadian higher education, the nature of the perceived crisis varies, but the conclusion remains that the system is close to disaster. Those who write about Canadian higher education should be required to justify their conclusions, and those who read them should not blindly accept them. (MSE)

Although Susan Allan's article in the same "Educational Leadership" issue has cogently delineated ability grouping's academic benefits for gifted youth, she has failed to recognize the emerging reformist agenda to eliminate grouping as racist. Oakes's and Goodlad's descriptions of instruction at various grouping levels have lead to erroneous…

One of the reasons women's history no longer seems as cohesive is that scholars no longer focus only on the importance of gender in shaping women's lives, but also on race and class. Scholars also use competing methodologies, and many are abandoning theories that once helped define the field. (MLW)

Examines the cultural mechanisms that affect educational participation. Suggests the following strategies for supporting cultural voice: (1) acknowledge and use cultural differences in communication; (2) investigate the boundaries and politics of cultural differences; (3) develop democratic practices of classroom representation; and (4) protect…

Notes that the percentage of Black and Hispanic teachers continues to decline as the number of Black and Hispanic students increases. Argues that minority teacher candidates are being screened out by state-mandated competency testing. Argues that reversing the scarcity of Black and Hispanic teachers will take time, money, and commitment. (RS)

Discusses controversies concerning the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), in a conversation between National Endowment for the Humanities president, Lynne V. Cheney, and College Board president, Donald Stewart. The discussion centered around (1) the SAT as a predictor of college performance; (2) uses of achievement tests; and (3) education in…

Includes "The Case of Western Europe: Integration and Change in the EEC--The Fortress and the Excluded" (Conroy); "The Case of Eastern Europe: Why Community Development Still Has to Find a Role in Hungary" (Tausz); and "The Case of the Third World: People's Self-Development (Rahman). (SK)

Superintendents can wield influence at the statehouse if they know how. Offers tips from state-level lobbyists on how to reach a legislator's ear. (MLF)

The relationship between planning and budgeting is discussed in terms of human and organizational obstacles (e.g., the insufficiency of resources to satisfy plans), the reallocation of resources (e.g., in response to a crisis situation or to institutionalized processes), and political processes (using a University of Minnesota case study). (MLW)

Discusses educational reform movements as derived from changes in the world economy affecting public education in both developed and developing countries. Examines national reform movements in several countries, noting the shift to closer conformity with increasingly uniform international standards. Treats the politics of school reform and the…

Replies to Crandall's claim that Finn had disrupted a decade of solid research in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement Office (OERI) regional educational laboratories. According to Finn, these labs have wasted taxpayers' money. Currently, states command school policy and finances, and key decision-makers are governors and…

Reviews French educational reform projects of the past 30 years, and offers some explanations for their failure. Discusses groups with a vested interest in continuing reform, the lack of national consensus on educational policy, and the discontinuity of political leadership. (34 references) (SV)

Present educational reforms in New York are traced in this article. Fiscal impact and local response are described, future reform needs are identified, and the process of reform politics is discussed. Statewide monitoring and data analysis are identified as remaining problems. (JD)

Outlines U.S. national initiatives for local governments over the last few decades. Offers a picture of what the implications of these policies would be if carried out fully in Britain. Discusses whether the U.S. system for addressing local economic development concerns offers a better model and what really are the requirements for its…

Considers educational values and the constraints placed upon the realization of these values in the workplace. Discusses how the abuse of institutional power undermines the responsibilities accompanying academic freedom. (KO)