Presents the view that genuine educational reform is impossible in today's political, social, and economic climate. Today's policymakers are not truly antipoverty and do not truly care about the plight of the less fortunate. The current preoccupation with economic progress means that reform has come to mean inattention. (SLD)

Examines religious freedom, schools, and the First Amendment issue, and discusses the "Three Rs Project," which is designed to help teachers, parents, and community leaders of different faiths set policies on religion in schools, protect students' religious speech, and reform secularized curricula. A consensus of the current law…

Addresses the relationship of education and training to employment and how this discourse shapes policy and programs for public assistance recipients and dislocated workers. Problematic assumptions about how education and training affect employment are discussed, along with statistical data that raise questions about these assumptions. Race,…

Examination of participation and accommodation policies of all states revealed that in most states the Individualized Education Program team is central in deciding the participation of students with disabilities in state assessments. Testing accommodations are commonly allowed, although there is considerable variability. States generally offer…

Describes efforts by the LBJ School of Public Affairs to draw on the strengths of the University of Texas at Austin while cultivating external relationships crucial to its research and service programs. Discusses its research partnerships, policy research projects, research centers and programs, professional development partnerships, public…

Describes the design of a CD-ROM by the Illinois State Library that was developed to answer public library administrators' questions. Discusses results of a survey that identified necessary content, including annexation issues; charitable giving; non-resident fee calculation; ordinances; grants; policy model; property taxes; standards; and trustee…

A framework is provided for thinking about how welfare reform affects young children with disabilities and their families and strategies are presented for addressing their unique needs. The article documents the relationship between disability and poverty, reviews major changes in the law, and highlights challenges. (Contains references.)…

Discusses the role of knowledge and education in the development of Hong Kong and Shanghai in light of the recent East Asian economic crisis. Considers four major issues in educational development: (1) quality and equality; (2) relevance of education; (3) policy making; and (4) knowledge production and utilization. (CMK)

Examines issues medical schools must consider before requiring students to own computers, including appropriate kind of computer, impediments to teaching with computers, and how they are to be used. Data from a study of 15 medical schools that require computers, surveyed information on software, hardware requirements, expectations of student use,…

This article describes recent developments in gifted education in New Zealand. Government initiatives that have resulted in professional development programs and the creation of a gifted and talented community within the Ministry of Education's Online Learning Center are discussed, and recommendations by the Working Party on Gifted Education are…

The creator of the Policy Governance model explains a system whereby the superintendent/CEO is not responsible for governance. Under Policy Governance, the board is solely responsible for describing and fulfilling its own job (determining what the public purchases for the next generation), and the administrators run the schools. (MLH)

Today's reforms call for teachers to become involved in decision making outside the classroom. Teachers need the necessary skills to become active participants. This paper examines: areas where teachers can be involved in decision making; necessary knowledge and skills; ways to include this preparation within preservice teacher education; and the…

Examines the inter-related issues of college curricular coherence, student mobility, and transferability of college credits among institutions. Urges agreement on intended outcomes of general education programs and suggests linking such outcomes to transfer agreements. Reports on two states Utah and Georgia which are developing new system-wide…

M. Wang, G. Haertel, and H. Walberg have produced a summary of the bivariate relationships that influence learning. The problem is how to convert such evidence into knowledge, and the knowledge into policy. Discusses how health science provides a guide for making the conversion from evidence to policy. (SLD)

A study explored constraints experienced by policy researchers working for the National Commission on Student Assistance, founded in 1980 to investigate federal student-aid policy. It analyzed how political changes limited the scope of research questions, influenced reporting of results, and reduced effects of research on policymaking. Findings…