This report on the SCALE Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) Case Studies line of work provides preliminary findings about SCALE activities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison). This study focuses on the structural and behavioral dynamics influencing the implementation of the four core SCALE strategies for effecting change in…

This report provides international benchmarks to help states see how students are doing in math and science within an international context. It shows how state-by-state results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) can be linked with nation-by-nation results from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study…

This policy brief explores kindergarten readiness observation and its benefits to local and state level stakeholders; highlights efforts by California counties and other states to measure school readiness; and makes recommendations for moving toward statewide use of kindergarten readiness observation tools. Key points include: (1) Early efforts to…

This paper innovatively extends the application of transactional distance theory (TDT) to evidence-based policy development in Mauritius. In-depth interview data on student persistence from a range of stakeholders is used to understand the implications of distance education (DE) policy deficit. Policy deficit has surfaced as another dimension of…

If a new and effective rural policy is to be crafted, policymakers must realize that rural America has changed a great deal in recent years. To be sustainable, rural policy must be flexible enough to accommodate continuing changes in global structure; be sufficiently targeted to address the unique concerns found in diverse rural situations;…

This practicum targeted a multi-service child and youth care agency in which lesbian women and gay men were implicitly excluded from serving as therapeutic foster parents. The setting in which the practicum project was developed, implemented, and evaluated is a not-for-profit, provincially chartered, and publicly-funded organization, headquartered…

This publication contains a set of five case studies and two analytical overview chapters that lay the foundation for a deeper understanding of the process of educational policy formation in Africa. Reflecting developments until late 1992, the cases include Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda, Mali, and Senegal. The articles describe and analyze current…

Industrial expansion remains essential for the development and structural transformation of most sub-Saharan African economies. The advantages of industrialization go beyond the provision of manufactured goods and the diversification of exports to the modernization of society. Growth rates in formal manufacturing tell little about the economic…

School-based early childhood centers are high-quality programs using approaches to instruction based on recognized principles of child development and learning for children 3 to 8 years old. The centers are characterized by the active involvement of parents and the community and by a commitment to smooth transitions from home to school and through…

This two-part report presents an overview of the vocational and technical education system in Thailand. The first part is a review of the current and likely future situations pertaining to vocational and technical education in that country. An analysis of economic conditions, human resource development, and the existing technical and vocational…

This guide contains ideas and documents from study circle programs throughout the United States. The guide is organized in five parts that cover the following topics: (1) introduction--what are study circles, how do they function?; (2) basic steps in creating a community-wide program; (3) sample documents including program description, community…

The decline in Federal funding for state-provided social services during the 1980s triggered a transformation in the states' roles in family policymaking. This booklet documents four state initiatives designed to bring about systems change: (1) Healthy Start (California); (2) the Governor's Families and Children Initiative (Colorado); (3) the…

This discussion paper provides background material to four issues identified as important to study for the adult literacy effort in Washington State: goals and outcomes, priorities for service, effective practices, and roles of providers. The paper provides a starting point for decision making. First, it sets a backdrop for the attention focused…

When Colorado's Tenure Reform Bill, House Bill 1159, was signed into law, the work of teachers was not significantly changed. However, the law did make some significant inroads in the work of administrators and streamlined the due process accorded to teachers in the event that dismissal becomes necessary. This paper addresses whether the…

The concentration of numerous case studies of British appropriation of U.S. education and training (ET) policies in a brief period of time (1986-90) provides a unique opportunity to improve understanding of the ET reform process and the role that international comparisons can play in shaping the domestic ET policy agenda. In this book, political…