Various educational practices resulting from research recommendations and the associated problems are described. The author suggests that educational research can create a more reliable foundation for policy decisions concerning the introduction of reforms, by evaluating their resulting effectiveness. Investigators should suggest more pertinent…

If it is impossible to measure the precise impact of school desegregation on "white flight", it is equally insupportable to claim that there is no effect whatever. Court ordered busing may be the primary stimulus for white flight, but it is impossible to prove that it is the reason for family decisions to remove children from urban…

Author describes how he and his staff have worked towards a language policy that ensures consistency throughout the primary years. Explores the implications of such a policy for the way language teachers plan their lessons. (Editor/RK)

Reasons for the failure of many academic master plans are examined, primarily through the analysis of several short case studies. Practical suggestions are offered that may help colleges in developing those plans and in decision-making. (LBH)

Summarizing the Task Force Issues Paper presented at the Appalachian Conference on Balanced Growth and Economic Development (1977), this article presents selected comments by Task Force participants, and Task Force recommendations re: a national severence tax on extraction of nonrenewable energy resources; socioeconomic costs of nuclear energy; a…

The nation is losing sight of the grand goals of education as it drifts toward centralized educational policymaking which concentrates on narrow measures of accountability and projects a view of education as an instrument for future employment. (Author)

Discusses two ways of enhancing the ability of clients of local educational services to contribute to policy decisions; first, by developing public policies which support private, voluntary citizen organizations to influence educational policies and, second, by strengthening mandated advisory councils. Briefly describes five means of implementing…

Notes that before making claims for the large impact attributed to quantity of schooling--claims that are aimed at influencing policy decisions--its effects should be examined in a wide variety of school settings, with attention to individual student differences and to the importance of cumulative effects. (Author/AM)

One of the difficulties in assessing the affirmative action performance of colleges and universities is that data on the availability of minority candidates with advanced degrees is poor. (Author)

Concludes that those who plan to emigrate from Colombia need orientation and some manner of regularizing their status by work contracts or other legal arrangements. This will assure them just wages and relieve many of the necessity to migrate without proper documents. (Author/AM)

The use of mathematical models originally developed by economists and operations researchers is described for legal process research. Situations involving plea bargaining, arraignment, and civil liberties illustrate the applicability of decision theory, inventory modeling, and linear programming in operations research. (LBH)

The understandings gained about academic planning--particularly under conditions of institutional stress--are perhaps the most significant aspects of the University of Vermont's recent experience in building a planning process. The need for realistic goals is emphasized. (LBH)

Analyzes problems that have accompanied the growth of the citizen participation and public interest movements, and suggests that public participation that is not carefully ordered and constrained by administrators can lead to poorly conceived decisions. (Author/JG)

Provides 10 principles to use in the development of board policies that can stand the test in the courtroom. Includes a "sample policy compliance checklist." (MD)

A British review process for policy-oriented research is described, focusing on the problems of keeping academic criteria and policy relevance distinct in the process. The use of multiple evaluative frameworks for policy-related research is advocated. (MSE)