Cross-national differences in political, legislative, administrative, regulatory, and judicial systems that may present obstacles to reaching international agreements are discussed. These differences are identified from research comparing the regulation of chemical hazards in Europe and the United States. Implications for the problem of global…

The education finance bill recently passed by the federal government has changed the funding of many programs within the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Budget lines that gained or lost are traced, with some explanation of the changes. Prospects for the 1993 federal education research budget are reviewed. (SLD)

Development of state leadership in implementing the quality mandate of Chapter 1 supplementary education programs is traced up to the 1988 Hawkins Stafford Act, which added procedural and accountability requirements. Challenges that states now face in the program improvement processes are described. (SLD)

The number of sex discrimination complaints within school districts has risen in the last few years. Recent court rulings are cited, including estimated costs to the board. Outlines steps that a board can take to reduce the chances of sex discrimination occurring in a school district. (MLF)

Describes a case study of 12 elementary schools (emphasizing 2 schools) affected by the Chicago School Reform Act, focusing on local contexts and features of school communities that advance or impede change. Results demonstrate the importance of neighborhood contexts and school leadership and the complexities of applying technical expertise. (SLD)

A survey indicates that student complaints led legislators in 20 states to mandate that higher education institutions develop policies on oral English proficiency of instructors, including language certification for international teaching assistants. Many institutions responded with policies requiring formal language testing and remedial…

Proposes to replace the principle of equal opportunity with an "anti-caste" principle to build a new society and to secure economic and social rights. Suggests a United States Charter for Socioeconomic Rights. Outlines the moral, legal, and political bases for the proposal and offers a Charter version. (JB)

College compliance with the Americans with Disabilities of Act of 1990 means including a statement about disabilities in publications, providing transportation for off-campus trips, eliminating physical barriers, providing nonvoice terminal telephones, using captioned films, having assistive listening devices, reserving designated seating,…

The fiscal impacts and redistribution effects of the recently enacted (1981) federal education block grant on 525 elementary and secondary school districts in Michigan were examined using a quasi-experimental time-series design and multiple regression and analysis of covariance techniques. Implications of changes in federal policy are discussed.…

Examines the legal, historical, and pervasive underrepresentation of women in educational administration, paying particular attention to women in urban settings. A profile of female administrators in urban areas is presented, with emphasis on job-satisfaction factors. Implications for the law, policy, and practices to redress this inequality are…

Results of two longitudinal studies in a southwestern city suggest that local interpretations of the legalization program of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act affected program outcomes by expanding the scope of the program beyond the participation rate projected by national policymakers. (SLD)

Examines legal and social implications of bias violence today and in the coming years. The most important legal development regarding hate crimes is the Supreme Court's "Wisconsin v. Mitchell" decision upholding the constitutionality of bias crime penalty enhancement laws. (SLD)

The American Association of University Professors' report on intellectual property rights summarizes federal copyright law on issues that concern faculty: ownership; commercialization; revenue distribution; works created for colleges and universities; fair use; traditional, electronic, and multimedia materials; Internet/World Wide Web; digital…

Washington State's Initiative 200, on the ballot this November, would bar state and local governments from "discriminating or granting preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, education, and contracting." Observers see the initiative as another attack on affirmative action.…

A study of 8 California school districts immediately following passage of Proposition 227, and another study of 39 districts a year later interviewed personnel, principals, and teachers about implementation of the English Only initiative. Specific implementation strategies reflected schools' previous programmatic efforts for limited English…