Provides an overview and comparison of the historical trends in information policy-making and recent proposals for the information infrastructure in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the European Union, and Canada. The role of the private sector, including transnational corporations, is also considered. (MES)

Traces changes in policy and legislation that have led to the provision of transition services for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. Describes provisions in the 1992 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. (CR)

A study of resource allocation in the Nigerian university system is reported, and results are used to construct a model for budgeting and fund allocation for other African countries. The model is then applied to actual allocations for three universities to determine the extent to which current allocations fit the design of the model. (MSE)

Discusses whether libraries should limit access to the Internet by the use of filtering devices or blockers. Topics include censorship issues; access to information; filtering software; intellectual freedom; costs; acceptable-use policies; and self-regulation. (LRW)

The Canadian Opportunities Strategy, the portion of the Canadian minister of finance's 1998 budget speech devoted to the government's plan for a "knowledge society," is analyzed. The budgetary context in which the strategy was outlined is reviewed, and the strategy itself of the government's investment plan for research and improved…

Suggests that the Luso-Brazilian Accord is a strategy to spread the Portuguese language in Africa, particularly in the former colonies of Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and Sao Tome e Principe, and to construct and solidify a community of lusophone nations in geopolitical terms in world affairs. Language planning in these countries…

A discussion of federal policy on research integrity and scientific misconduct chronicles the history of federal involvement in accountability in the scientific community, forms of intervention, determination of the boundaries of misconduct, and the rights of whistle blowers. Official definitions and standards are presented. (MSE)

Describes an outcomes accreditation study of 27 schools, undertaken after the 1985 North Central Association Commission on Schools' (NCA COS) two-year development pilot project on the same subject. Predicts that NCA COS will keep governance of the outcomes process at the local level, with peer review by visiting teams remaining an integral part of…

Reviews contemporary theorizing on school leadership, highlighting transformational styles, and overviews (British) governmental policies for school leadership and improvement. Reviews current research on primary heads' views of the headship. Although the primary headship is being transformed, it is not becoming transformational. Policymakers have…

Reviews developments in technical and vocational education in South Africa: National Qualifications Framework, Curriculum 2005,and enterprise development. Addresses issues of articulation, funding, and market responsiveness. Concludes that practices might be imposed from above and government agencies do not yet have the capacity to develop and…

Compares the concepts and goals of affirmative action in the U.S. and South Africa. Examines positions on equity and affirmative action expressed by various South African educational-policy documents and government officials. Presents case-study data on affirmative action and institutional change at four South African universities. Contains 25…

Reviews and discusses the process that the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) engaged in to develop their current policy on accented or dialect inflected speech to educate and assist its members and others with such speech who may be subject to discrimination in educational programs, employment, or delivery of services. (Author/DB)

Explores the nature of a synthetic review of research. A review is "gatekeeping, policing, and productive rather than merely mirroring." A review can inform analyses of policy areas as it recognizes and fosters quality published work. The critical review can provide a basis from which new work can spring. (SLD)

In 1992, the Further and Higher Education Act unified higher education in England, Wales, and Scotland, ending the "binary policy" that sustained two separate sectors with different missions, funding arrangements, and institutional titles. This article explores factors leading to this outcome and some consequences. There was no grand…

Based on interviews with state-level policy makers in six states, examines the policies of charter-school reform, arguing that the bipartisan support for these schools masks often-opposing viewpoints regarding the purpose of the reform. Identifies three salient and conflicting themes that emerge from the policy makers' explanations of their…