With the failure of the No Child Left Behind policies of the 1990's, educational reformers wished to establish a "new and improved" set of standards for the United States to follow. However, since their inception in 2006-2007, the new Common Core State Standards have become increasingly unpopular due to the fact that they remain largely…

Article considered three political determinants that should be kept in mind when deliberating upon accountability. (Author/RK)

Author suggests drastic overhaul of the public school system to eliminate the various levels of repression to be found within it. (AN)

Reviews books which emphasize the modicum of influence exercised by the public on educational policy. Data were obtained on community-school interaction in 17 communities. Control of educational policy was demonstrated to be in the hands of administrators, with tacit consent of the public. (Author/DB)

Analyzes the debate over closure of a rural Pennsylvania high school and consolidation with a much larger school in the state's geographically largest school district. Discusses parent survey results, which highlight the enduring social tension between the centralizing efforts of governing bodies and the interests of local communities in…

This paper summarizes the issues underlying the Amish conflicts with public school consolidation and the enforcement of extended compulsory school-age limits. It calls attention to a long-standing strategy for community control of schools contributing to the maintenance of a culturally divergent minority group tradition. None of the traditional…

Investigates school board receptivity, defined as an attitude set that favors greater communication and participation by the public, using data derived from interviews with 492 board members from 82 school boards distributed across the continental United States. (JM)

Exploring the revival of interest in smaller schools, the fastback examines the legacy of the small school, the minimum school size, the advantages and disadvantages of smaller schools, the needs of smaller schools, and some important indicators and trends of what is actually likely to happen in small schools. In discussing the advantages and…

One of the results of rural school district consolidation has been the potential for schisms that develop among the divergent populations with distinct traditions, culture, and customs. This paper presents research on an Appalachian school district that remains in cultural turmoil after 25 years of consolidation. The population of the three…

The emerging philosophy of Indian control of Indian education is the focus of this booklet. It embraces the belief that education should be controlled by the community and is most effective if it involves the community in the education process. Further, education should utilize the concept of cultural relevance to obtain its academic ends and must…