The extent to which National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Executive Summary reports are intelligible to policy makers and educators was studied, and recommendations were offered for improving NAEP reporting practices. Detailed interviews were conducted with 59 policy makers and educators. In general, these two groups had considerable…

The 28 Florida community colleges have made significant accomplishments in the areas of removing barriers to education, student outcomes, curriculum development, and financial support for students. These accomplishments have resulted from the state's Master Plan for community colleges developed from 1955 to 1957 under legislation that established…

Among the most influential findings from the World Fertility Survey (WFS) were those linking fertility patterns to child survival, in particular the findings concerning the high infant and child mortality for children born after a short birth interval. This study examined the relations between fertility and child survival based on more recent data…

Most studies of school development have taken a one-dimensional point of view. This booklet presents findings of a study that used triangulated methods to measure compulsory school development in Sweden. It compares curriculum texts, the effects of curriculum change, and the metaphors used in the curriculum policies. The first part describes the…

Homelessness affects people of all backgrounds, races, and religions. Whether the number of homeless people is 300,000 or 3 million, as some estimates claim, there are too many people in America who struggle to find shelter daily, making homelessness one of the most serious problems facing the nation today. This discussion, designed for the…

A recent review of literature on local school-board roles in decision making found only two research studies that examined the actions and decisions of board members. This paper presents findings of a study, commissioned by the West Virginia School Boards Association (WVSBA) and funded by the West Virginia legislature, that examined the kinds of…

Strategies are presented for recruiting family members from minority groups to be involved in the formation of policies and development of programs that affect their lives and those of their young children with disabilities. Organizational strategies, strategies to empower family members, logistical strategies, and process strategies are…

This report is the sixth and final report in a series designed to help states, local government, and the voluntary sector, as they respond to the social policy debates and changes precipitated by the 104th Congress through its welfare reform efforts. This final report draws on the lessons the project learned from commissioned papers, six…

To determine the nature of law enforcement services provided on campuses in the context of the Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act, the U.S. Department of Justice surveyed four-year institutions of higher education in the United States with 2,500 or more students. This report presents data collected from nearly 600 campus law enforcement…

This book, which is intended to give stakeholders in state and local welfare policies a foundation on which to plan state/local reform efforts, summarizes some of the key findings and lessons from 2 decades of research on policies and programs aimed at increasing the self-sufficiency of low-income individuals and families. Chapters 1 and 2, which…

This primer on youth development is intended to help communities rethink youth services in the context of the larger community. It offers guidance about the changes necessary to plan for and accept new ideas. The youth development approach advocated by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) suggests that helping young people achieve their…

Shared governance is an educational philosophy that offers local school personnel the opportunity to share in decision making and improve educational quality through local control. Gwinnett County (Georgia) is currently implementing school-improvement councils that will operate according to the principles of shared governance. This paper presents…

In the spirit of educational reform efforts, this digest examines the concept of teacher-as-researcher, a concept rooted in action research. Action research is designed, conducted, and implemented by teachers themselves to improve teaching in the classroom. The research is often a collaborative activity promoting reflective teaching, critical…

Data from a national survey of American economic literacy were used to investigate the relationship between economic knowledge and public opinion on economic issues. The telephone survey data were collected by the Gallup Organization from a sample of 1,005 members of the general public in March 1992. The instrument contained about 46 questions…

School/site-based management requires shifting the initiative in public schools from legislators, school boards, superintendents, central administrative offices, and unions, to individual schools. The purpose of school/site-based management is to increase student achievement and success by making those closest to the delivery of educational…