This policy brief examines the problems of parents who raise young children while working. Discussion contrasts family support systems in the United States with those of other western, industrialized nations, and indicates reasons for the intensification of U.S. family support problems over the last decade. Concluding discussion analyzes present…

Under the current Medicaid reimbursement system in Minnesota for intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded (ICFs/MR), payments are not targeted properly because there is no uniform assessment and resource use information to determine those clients for whom services are most costly to provide. A project was mandated by the state…

This report documents the internal investigative process that was used at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop a model of child care and services for MIT parents which might be relevant to other institutions. Topics discussed include: (1) the history of MIT's involvement in child care; (2) the origin and charge of MIT's…

This collection of six commentaries represents the National Urban League's perspective on public policies needed to promote the interests of black Americans. Each commentary focuses on the present condition of blacks, details the impact of recent policy intiatives, and delineate's the League's proposals for improvement. "Black Americans and…

This document examines some of the questions concerning copyright law and the educational use of equipment that can easily duplicate, store, and transmit instructional materials. It is argued that a delicate balance must be achieved between protection for copyright holders and access for educational purposes to audiovisual works, music, computer…

State education reform efforts, like national proposals for educational excellence, have blamed poor schooling for widening the gulf between poor and rich and influencing economic and industrial decline. Improved schools will supposedly restore economic health to society and its individual citizens. This conflation of educational reform and…

While Australian policy supports cultural diversity and promotes language instruction, public attitudes and the resources available for language education are not favorable. The lack of progress may be attributed in part to the nature of decision-making processes, resulting in unbalanced and ill-conceived policy. National language policy-making…

The conference reported in this document was attended by representatives of seven states (Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington). Participants focused on three key questions: (1) what are the issues and objectives behind assessment in each state? (2) what can be done regarding the implementation of…

This guide for selecting library materials for residents of state institutions is designed to help the institutional librarian who has special groups to serve and who does not have access to standard acquisition tools. The first section lists what information is necessary to order materials, provides samples of filled-in order forms, and mentions…

The policy statements contained in this document present the position of the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC) on the Associate Degree, the Associate in Applied Science Degree (AAS), and the Associate Degree in Nursing. In its statement on the Associate Degree, the AACJC: (1) stresses the responsibility of faculty and…

Presidential effectiveness is considered in the context of decision-making that shaped the mission of certain midwestern colleges as they moved toward adopting the American research university mission. The issue is strategic success: the extent to which presidents at a time of opportunity or adversity made decisions that led the college to…

This paper, which consists of two parts, suggests criteria for the consideration of Washington State school superintendents engaged in creating racially integrated schools. Part I identifies components of an integrated school district, focusing on: access to schools, classes, and programs; staffing; facilities; curriculum; parental involvement;…

This report presents the results of an in-depth study of teacher supply and demand in the State of Maryland. The body of the report consists of seven parts: (1) a description of the purpose of the study; (2) a consideration of the limitations of the study; (3) a brief summary of national studies on teacher supply and demand; (4) a review of the…

Although vast numbers of educational innovations have been introduced into the nation's schools over the past 20 years, few have succeeded in effecting affective, behavioral, and cognitive student gains. Many recent studies have focused, therefore, on school change processes and the formulation of strategies for successful innovation…

A study examined the ways that people talk to policy and decision makers about the future and constructed a model of future talk. Specifically, speeches given to government policy makers about science and technology were analyzed in order to discover how people communicate information about the future. Each incident was reviewed and assigned a…