Examines educational policy formation in the Education and Religion branch of postwar Berlin's Office of Military Government relating to the "gymnasium," a potent symbol of elite German schooling tradition. As shown by West Berlin's conservative 1950s schooling policies, German education traditions were so powerful that neither Hitler's…

School boards should review their policy manuals to keep them up-to-date with new laws and regulations and to make sure student and employee handbooks reflect current district policy. State and national school board associations offer model policies. (MLF)

The logical starting place for school boards to review and revise policies annually is a policy-analysis model that includes local criteria as well as state and national legal mandates. Offers 15 criteria for policy analysis, each framed in terms of a question to ask about the policy under study. (MLF)

Effective school boards pursue five key decision points or states of policy development: (1) identify issues; (2) set priorities; (3) analyze and study; (4) take action; and (5) follow through. Boards should think of these stages as both dynamic and interactive. (MLF)

An analytical report on educational policy in Zimbabwe, three associated commentaries, and a concluding summary describe ways in which the findings of educational research can be translated into policy in a developing nation. The emphases are on student achievement and equitable allocation of resources. (SLD)

Recent incorporation of a performance assessment in Arizona's test mandate provides an opportunity to examine the assumptions and beliefs underlying measurement-driven reform. Efforts to meld cognitive-constructivist beliefs about pupil learning and assessment contradict behaviorist beliefs about changing teachers and reforming schools. Mandates…

This article discusses the development of state licensure standards for specialists in orientation and mobility by the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, outlines efforts to obtain licensure in Tennessee, and presents a strategy for pursuing state licensure in other states. (Author/DB)

Examines how the new sociology of science can approach data access issues. A perspective is developed based on an analysis of the process of scientific production, data streams, and intellectual policy issues. (Contains 55 references.) (JLB)

A descriptive review of research on language-in-education policy and planning is offered. It covers national languages (North America, Southern Africa, Central Asia); minority languages (New Zealand, North America); European minority languages and language policies in the European Community; testing and evaluation; teacher education; and literacy.…

A discussion of language policy formation and planning in Western European countries covers the following: implications of the 1992 Treaty of Maastricht, European Community initiatives, language planning at the regional level, the European Science Foundation, bilingual education, and the Council of Europe. (Contains 47 references.) (LB)

Discusses information policy issues for electronic information resources, including the scholarly communication process and changes in the relationship between information, the producer, and the user; the right of access to information, including government information; privacy and democratic governance; and intellectual property or ownership of…

Topics under consideration for federal and state legislative action that may affect higher education are outlined, including research funding, support for National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities, student aid funding, job training reduction, deregulation of telecommunications, accountability measures, Medicare and…

The literature of sexual harassment, particularly on college campuses, is reviewed. Topics discussed include definition of sexual harassment, legal implications, the role of individual perceptions, victim and peer response to harassment, and development of institutional policy and strategies for combatting harassment. A substantial bibliography is…

Rational choice theory and its three branches (game theory, collective choice theory, and organizational economics) has altered the face of political science, sociology, and organizational theory. This chapter reviews rational choice theory, examines a small body of work that relies on the rational choice paradigm to study educational politics,…

Examines content themes in this special issue while simultaneously considering trends that may foreshadow new educational politics research directions. Questions the effects of playing-field conditions on reform persistence, explains how educational politics and policy games are played, and acknowledges the disillusionment prevalent in educational…