Discussion of library Internet access and filtering focuses on a survey of Ohio public libraries that showed 17% of libraries are using filters to restrict access. Legal actions, Internet use policies, alternatives to filtering, complaints from the public, and recent court cases are examined. (LRW)

Argues that the conventional Delphi procedure offers decision makers a user-friendly, rigorous, and systematic strategy for collecting and disseminating critical information. Reviews literature related to the Delphi procedure, provides a rationale for its use, describes its distinctive features, reviews points of contention, and provides an…

Lessons learned from school reform are the foundation for Goals 2000: Educate America Act. It offers the framework and support for states and communities to reach goals designed to help schools create and achieve their own vision of what they want for their children. The U. S. Department of Education wants to be a partner in the efforts to bring…

Considers the growing power and influence of the central state in British education and the "policy hysteria" characterizing it. Questions the wisdom of basing policy on performance management and other rationalistic approaches. Recent research suggests that staff commitment and satisfaction are key factors in producing results. (71…

Fearing a federal court in Oklahoma might end a state-financed merit-scholarship program targeted by a discrimination lawsuit, black legislators passed a bill making the program race and gender neutral. State regents are criticized for failing to develop effective policy to remedy past discrimination. (MSE)

Two senior administrators at the University of Delaware discuss the types of cost data that are ultimately useful for decision making and policy development. Describes the data collection format and provides examples of departmental workload verification data and departmental expenditures by object and function. Explains use of comparative…

Explores the relationship of social science research to social policy making, stressing that social science models and research findings are largely irrelevant to the actual concerns of policymakers and noting the ways in which ideological factors mediate the process. (SLD)

This study examined the presence, origins, contents, and purposes of Internet acceptable use policies in 100 selected K-12 schools. Discusses results of descriptive and qualitative analysis of an online survey and content analysis, including areas of liability, online behavior, system integrity, content quality, and consequences of violation of…

Discusses the roles played by participants and the processes involved in a provincial standards-setting exercise for a large-scale assessment of student skills. Offers perspectives of a policy maker outside the exercise and an insider participant. Describes alternate notions of representativeness, stakes, and significance. (SLD)

Examines a 1994 General Accounting Office (GAO) report on sexual harassment at U.S. service academies to determine how power structures affected the report writers' rhetorical choices. Identifies what is valued and devalued in the report's contents. Describes Congress's reaction to the report and speculates on the report's impact on public…

Considers aspects of managing change as illustrated in 25 British secondary schools that have implemented antibullying policies for pupils. Despite staff ownership, problems arising from the subjectivity of policy interpretation and contextual pressures are likely to affect outcomes. Analysis of questionnaire and report data shows that policy…

Incidents of point-shaving and placing and accepting bets are evidence that professional gamblers are influencing college sports and campus life. Because of student athletes' competitive nature, they may be more likely to engage in gambling. The National Collegiate Athletic Association and individual colleges are examining and addressing this…

Examines 10 dichotomies in teacher education to see which ones are symptoms of larger problems in society and which fall within the province of the teacher education community. Condenses the 10 dichotomies down to two, focusing on the dependence of teacher education policy on a wider, but not always wise, public, and the effects of specialization…

Investigated the extent to which Florida's school districts complied with the Florida Department of Education's (FDOE) recommendations for addressing sexual harassment in schools. Surveys of district equity coordinators and analysis of policies indicated that most districts approved sexual harassment policies incorporating many FDOE…

Increasingly, when children are not safe in their homes, they are placed with relatives. This article discusses how factors such as availability of foster care, attitudes toward extended families, and policies regarding payment for care costs have contributed to the growth in kinship care. Research on kinship care is reviewed, and needed policies…