Discusses the effects of poverty on children and current public policy toward child poverty, including areas of unmet need and recommendations for policies to meet the needs of poor children. The overall focus is on the potential to develop effective policies for children in poverty. (SLD)

Examines the Indian state's role in promoting the software industry, and the different forms of power used to this end. Juxtaposes the new conventional understanding of policy liberalization with the concepts of the network state and transformational power to understand the shifts that have taken place in India's software policy over the past 10…

Proposes a set of questions to help educational planners develop clear, coherent concepts in policy proposals. Guidelines must be used discerningly, depending on the degree of lucidity politically feasible for particular policy situations. Planners might want to formulate deliberately ambiguous policy concepts and let precise meanings evolve out…

Practical and policy questions concerning intellectual property are considered in the context of advancing information technology and expanding international exchange of ideas, and specifically as they are or need to be addressed by Australian copyright and patent law. A 1995 discussion paper by the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee is…

The tendency of higher education researchers to focus on discovery and not practice- and policy-relevant research will not garner the needed public support. Attention should be directed to addressing issues confronting practitioners and policymakers, contributing to the solution of important current problems, communicating better with…

Recommendations are provided for the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as it pertains to individuals with physical disabilities. Recommendations address the following areas: professional development of teachers, physical disabilities as a focus category in the support programs, and incentives for model…

Increasingly, African American academics are appointed to political positions in the federal government. This career path can be both beneficial and difficult, dependent on high-level political support and the party in power. Most are short-term jobs, may slow the tenure process, and can adversely affect the faculty-college relationship. Several…

Presents an introduction to current equivalence methodology, a preferred alternative to usual power analyses when one wishes to determine if performances on given outcome measures for different samples are equivalent (could have come from the same population). Examples of the approach are presented. (SLD)

Through an analysis of state and federal regulations, U.S. Department of Education policy letters, and state and federal case law on independent educational evaluations (IEEs), it is concluded that parents have the right to an unfettered IEE at the public expense when they disagree with a district's evaluation. (Contains references.) (CR)

The East-West Center (Hawaii) and North-South Center (Florida) for hemisphere-oriented international studies have lost most federal funding and have had to trim staff, cut programs, and begin solicitation of private support. While lawmakers admit the centers do important work, they feel they are unnecessary and the work could be done elsewhere.…

The reorganization plan for government agencies under the Clinton Administration includes placement of the United States Information Agency (USIA), which oversees most government-sponsored academic exchanges, under the Department of State, where it was before 1978. The Arms Control and Disarmament Agency would also become part of the State…

Against the backdrop of declining performance, political transition, and the increasingly dominant role of donor agencies in educational decision making, this paper questions the feasibility and sustainability of educational expansion in Malawi. Three critical features of the Malawian political economy (land scarcity, declining wage economy, and…

Summarizes a report about professional credentials presented to the Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA). Presents a rationale for the involvement of ASTA in the development of science teaching standards, a summary of the state of teacher evaluation, and a discussion of future options for ASTA's involvement in standards. (DDR)

A "policy communities" framework is proposed to explain why three evaluations of home care and services for the elderly in Quebec (Canada) either influenced, or failed to influence, policymaking in the area. It is suggested that program evaluation strategies should reflect the political context of the evaluation. (SLD)

Features a self-assessment tool which encourages college campuses to look at the success factors needed to undergird alcohol and other drug prevention programs. Self-assessment based on characteristics of successful programs provides a strategic planning method, evaluation tool, and the needed benchmarks to ensure progress. Provides examples of…