Coordination of early intervention for children with disabilities is discussed, including barriers to interagency coordination. A 2-year study of 6 diverse states identified 13 ways in which public agencies are different from one another. Recommendations are offered to assist agencies to develop a coordinated service system. (Author/SW)

Discussion of the relationship between public library directors and the board of trustees highlights the library trustee and director survey that was conducted in Pennsylvania in 1994 to identify potential areas of conflict. Topics include the effect of library size, library planning, policy development, purchasing decisions, personnel issues, and…

Details the Rockford (Illinois) Public Library's activities involved with developing a community online information system and the not-for-profit organization established to run the system. Includes mission statement; guiding principles, policy statements; standing committees and goals for first year of operation; funding; adding users and…

Discusses the current changes in Australia's education policy, arguing that the radical restructuring of the public sector hastened the loss of possibility of any critical evaluation of national policy. The paper emphasizes that educational policy needs to take the issue of critical sensibility seriously. (SM)

Discusses 10 years of research on intergovernmental relations in education policy and examines current intergovernmental issues. Overall, governmental action at all levels is revealed to be largely unproductive. The author states that policies need to be more robust and sophisticated without losing sight of the realities of the classroom and that…

Development of the concept of quality within higher education, at both government and institutional levels, is traced, focusing on differences in state and institutional approaches and concerns in the pursuit of quality. Miami-Dade Community College (Florida) illustrates one approach. Relative impact of different approaches on the public interest…

Five themes are addressed: the role of language planning/policy in marking world events; ethnic revitalization; continuing migration and mobility; differential perceptions of the role of the mother tongue in primary education; and the potential contributions of language planning to educational and national development. (Contains 16 references.)…

Describes three classes of measurement techniques: (1) interviewing methods; (2) record retrieval procedures; and (3) observation methods. Discusses primary reasons for measurement error. Concludes that, although measurement error can be defined and controlled for, there are other design factors that also must be considered. (CFR)

An attorney provides the legal background for sexual harassment suits. Defines actions that school administrators can take to limit exposure to a charge of sexual harassment or to provide a good defense once a charge has been filed. Contains a sample effective sexual harassment policy and a 17-item sexual harassment quiz. (MLF)

Argues that expanding the policy infrastructure for resolving family-related disputes provides potential advantages at both the micro- and macrosystemic levels. Mediation, as a collaborative model, has proven effective in resolving family conflicts. Recommends that policies incorporate mediation into family-related disputes and into the…

The Supreme Court's finding that the University of Virginia acted unconstitutionally in denying funds to students for a Christian newspaper not directly affiliated with a church raises new questions about legal issues of church-state separation and the allocation of student fees. Some legal experts feel the ruling could spell the demise of campus…

Erie, Pennsylvania's Total Quality Management Institute has successfully applied total quality management concepts and techniques in businesses, a nonprofit hospital, and a school district as part of a long-term economic development plan. School district strategies have included distributing children's books to new parents, involving teachers in…

Canadian parents and educators are targeted with a campaign designed to convince them that lack of adequate testing represents a major barrier to educational reform. The paper examines the dangers and adverse effects of standardized testing, reviewing recent attempts to alert educators and policymakers to the deficiencies of standardized testing.…

Argues that urban policy should entail a unifying mix of economic, physical, and social initiatives that emphasize job creation and retention and social equity. The author explores a proposal for urban policy involving neighborhood-based planning, regulation of capital flight, local development funding, human capital formation, physical…

Provides some historical insights into the developing plight of today's modern U.S. cities and how urban policies over the years have exacerbated a downward trend in city quality. The author argues that a lack of government attention and lack of sound urban policy development has created today's primary crisis, urban violence. (GR)