Rowan College of New Jersey has adopted an "enterprise model" for strategic planning that is seen as central to attaining the mission of the college during a time involving a substantial decline in state support. Rowan pursued a strategy termed "growth by substitution." This new process was cast in a more entrepreneurial mold…

The law section of the Proceedings contains the following 12 papers: "Middle Justice: Anthony Kennedy's Freedom of Expression Jurisprudence" (Evelyn C. Ellison); "Defending the News Media's Right of Access to the Battlefield" (Timothy H. Hoyle); "The Freedom of Information Act and Access to Computerized Government…

This handbook provides information to help the policymaker or educator understand the research process in order to study problems and opportunities associated with the education of girls in Africa. In Africa, girls account for only 57% of the school-age population. They are more likely to drop out of school and to score lower on the examinations…

In the context of the development of a possible national mathematics assessment, a study was conducted to determine whether a test item characterization scheme could be created based on a state policy document that serves as the driving force behind large-scale performance assessment. Further considerations were whether such an item…

When the Chicago School Reform Act was first passed, many worried that the legislation would usher adversarial politics into the school building. This paper describes parent and community involvement in school decision making at Sprague Elementary school, which serves 1,500 Latino students. The case study chronicles the school's development…

This keynote address argues that policy makers should consider a project approach to implementation of research results regarding foreign language learning; they should pay attention to what is being revealed by a growing number of evaluation and impact studies concerning effective innovation and project effects. Second, language teaching research…

This essay outlines the major changes in Swedish educational policy that occurred during the 20-year period from 1976 to 1996, with a focus on key issues in the development of the comprehensive school. Effects of the policy changes on Swedish curriculum research over the last 20 years are examined. Educational researchers neglected or were slow to…

The Native Education Project Team was established in 1984 to develop a Native education policy in Alberta as a foundation for improving the delivery of quality education to Native students and communities. Information from 180 meetings with Native people throughout Alberta formed the basis for Alberta Education's Native education policy statement,…

This paper begins by discussing reasons for the failure of important aspects of Conservative education policy in the United Kingdom and finds them in contemporary Conservatism's "fundamentalist" handling of questions of culture and tradition. The term "fundamentalist" refers to certain religious, cultural, and political…

The prominence of agenda items, the attendant controversy, and changes proposed in 5 areas of education reform were studied in 33 urban school districts during 1992 to 1995. Only a tiny fraction of the study of American politics has focused on school boards, their attendant bureaucracies, and the local political issues involved. This paper…

This handbook and leadership guide for members of technical program advisory committees is a product of the Effective Advisory Committees Project conducted by the Minnesota State Board of Technical Colleges and the State Board of Education. The purpose of the project is to increase the effectiveness of the vocational advisory committees in…

This manual provides guidance to Idaho school districts in identifying students with serious emotional disturbances (SED), as defined by federal and state laws and regulations. Sections 1, 2, and 3 of the guide describe SED in the context of various factors, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the…

The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges was established to promote the best interests of higher education in the state and to represent community college faculty at the state level. This 20th annual report summarizes the activities of the Academic Senate for 1995-96. The first part presents a report from the Senate President, a…

The charter-school idea has spread rapidly across the United States. One-half of the states have adopted charter-school laws since 1991, and legislatures in other states have given the idea careful consideration. This paper explores the political factors that shape charter-school laws. The paper utilizes the policy-innovation-diffusion framework…

There is evidence that increasing the compensation of child care workers improves the quality of child care. This study was funded by the Child Development Division of the California Department of Education to identify policy options addressing the improvement of compensation for staff working in child care and development programs. The report…