In post-Communist Russia, schools have become the site where a new culture and morality will be formed. With the collapse of the rigidly controlled Russian school system, a new paradigm must be created to guide education. To many, a political and ethical void exists in Russian schools. Until 1988, schools in the Soviet Union operated under a…

Each spring when the ice clears, the Anishinabe (Chippewa) harvest fish from Wisconsin and Minnesota lakes. Their ancient subsistence fishing and hunting tradition is protected by treaties and reinforced by federal court rulings, but for years they were met by stones, racial epithets, and death threats hurled by local sports fishermen, resort and…

This book examines issues in designing coherent education policy for public elementary and secondary schools. It seeks to expand the policy discussion by refining the definition of coherence and considering a number of complex questions raised by the notion of coherent policy. The book offers an in-depth look at systemic school reform and offers a…

This paper discusses the emergence and the establishment of new educational programs in universities by describing a theoretical approach and reporting an empirical study of the development of one interdisciplinary department (the Institute for Media and Communication) at the University of Oslo (Norway). It is argued that the emergence of new…

There are two stories about political trends affecting nonmetropolitan America. The old story, which is the story of declining rural population and declining rural influence on public policy formation, has its roots in early deliberations about governance in this country. Jefferson's republicanism focused on direct citizen involvement in decision…

The organizational and decision-making characteristics of four school-based management models being developed in Dade County, Florida; Chicago; Los Angeles; and Spain are compared in this paper. The key differences lie in the origin of and reasons for change, and the common focal point is the creation and empowerment of a local school council at…

The oversight of state education reforms is explored in this paper, with a focus on the motivations of program fixers and the strategies they use to guide implementation. Fifty-seven interviews were conducted with legislators, committee staff, and legislative agency staff to analyze the program fixing process in six states--Arizona, Louisiana,…

The interest of U.S. presidents in public education has grown increasingly intense since World War II. This has been due largely to the nation's emergence as an international economic and political power, and a corresponding demand for an educated workforce. This paper surveys presidential administrations from Franklin Roosevelt to George Bush in…

Essays on feminism, theory, and education are offered in this anthology, which examines the roles of women as active agents of change, as conservators actively resisting change, or as objects of change. Seventeen chapters focus on the relationship between gender and the politics of knowledge, analyze varied situational contexts of women's…

The last 2 decades of curriculum policy in Australia are reviewed in this paper, with a focus on reforms concerned with females and schooling. Two general areas are examined: (1) the theoretical relationship between state power and feminist concerns about schooling; and (2) the progressive direction for schooling. The first section compares two…

An Australian conference for lecturers in educational administration was disrupted by a group dubbed "The Empty Set," which explored the political nature of knowledge and practice in educational administration. The group claims that most of educational administration's major research themes are derived from noneducational areas. Stating…

This guide presents learning objectives, background information, activities, vocabulary, and word-search puzzles on local government and politics for junior high and high school. Although it is intended for use in New York schools, much of the material should be adaptable to any state. Topics covered are: (1) types and functions of government; (2)…

A study examining factors influencing decisions state legislators make about school finance focuses on votes in Michigan, Missouri, and Washington. Each of these states passed major school finance reform legislation during the 1970's and used open legislative procedures in which individual legislators were free to vote their consciences.…

Outlines a planning philosophy and a preliminary model that links the State's role in trying to effect change with that of the Federal government and of other constituencies. Describes how New York State has implemented the model in two specific projects. (Author/WM)

In developing countries ideology plays an important role in the political process, for the level of disorganization forces political leaders to look for support and loyalty rather than efficiency. (Author)