Compares the national policy developments in two countries, Australia and South Africa, and investigates the emerging tensions in quality policy processes in these countries. Reports that a number of similarities and differences were evident. States that notions of quality and quality policies are dependent on localized contexts. Includes…

Investigates administrative processes involved in setting up the School Organization Committee (SOC) in one Shire County in England. Examines the role of the SOC and the implications for central-local power relations in the development of educational policy. (CMK)

Describes a number of projects through which elementary school students in Massachusetts learned about their local and state community and gained skills needed for active citizenship. (PRA)

Describes activities that can be adapted for students in elementary to high school grade levels that link teaching about local government to the concept of community and provide starting points for project ideas centering on the active involvement of students, teachers, and local government officials. (CMK)

Stresses the importance of local arts, focusing on encouraging modern dance at the local level. Addresses issues such as audience participation, sense of ownership and community, and accessibility that accompanies local art. Considers the implications for K-12 modern dance education. (CMK)

Examines the prospect of 'internationalizing' curricula and curriculum studies in the context of increasingly complex patterns of global interconnectedness in social production and organization. Explores ways in which diverse knowledge traditions can be sustained locally and amplified transnationally. Includes references. (CMK)

The National Research Council has suggested that science classes need to become more active and authentic. To help with this effort, Thayer Model Engineering was created several years ago as an inquiry science course at Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg, Vermont. In this school, the students apply the Thayer Model--a four-step…

For some time the author looked for a tool to let students apply what they are learning about critical analysis in the science classroom to a relevant life experience. The opportunity occurred when a proposal to use environmentally friendly cleaning products in town buildings appeared on the local town meeting agenda. Using a copy of the proposal…

The structural reforms of the education system in France (1959, 1963, and 1975) were part both of a global process of democratisation of education launched after the Second World War and of a larger modernisation project in which knowledge producers (experts, scholars and consultants) played a crucial role. Instead of a national approach or a…

Intended for local municipal officials and their advisors on public finance issues, this publication describes the legal environment surrounding bonds and examines some of the factors affecting the political feasibility of bond issues. Four categories of state controls of municipal bonds are discussed: limits on the amount of debt municipalities…

The role of the public has generally been dismissed as a significant factor influencing the process of curriculum formation in large urban school districts. This paper presents an indepth case study focusing on the role of the public in curriculum formation in one school district over a 21-year period during portions of the tenure of 3…

Reviews the Bulletin of Environmental Education's (BEE) contributions to the development of environmental education during the first 10 years of its publication. Focuses on main areas of interest referred to in BEE's articles and suggests possible areas for future development. (Author/JN)

Discusses the problems and impact of national trends on small towns and how small towns in eastern Washington have adapted to social and economic change. Illustrates how small towns try to address contemporary concerns such as computerization, the environment, and the expanding needs of their communities while continuing to hold on to their…

Demonstrates the connections among authenticity, technology, and geography by discussing the use of the Internet and a Geographic Information System (GIS). Describes an online community-based project in a three-step process (research a local issue, create a Web site, and submit the site to an online community). (CMK)

Distinguishes between lower and higher order thinking in education. Offers guidelines for higher order thinking approaches in the art classroom, such as using generative topics. Discusses a lesson on drawing portraits that uses higher order thinking. Considers ways to include higher order thinking in the curriculum. (CMK)