Thirty-two states now have some form of accountability legislation that requires the reporting of school and school system performance indicators. This study examined the Alabama State Report Card to determine whether its information is sufficient to inform the public, legislature, and the media about the achievement of each school and school…

The objectives of the Second Caribbean Conference on Early Childhood Education included: (1) setting a framework for the development of early childhood programs in the Caribbean; (2) initiating a Plan of Action to address early childhood issues in the Caribbean in terms of policy, structure, and implementation; and (3) facilitating the networking…

This paper explores the development of policy to facilitate self-examination by schools. The context is that of Flanders (Belgium), although there are implications for other school systems. In Flanders, more and more schools are becoming autonomous as they are being given some responsibility for providing high quality education, the supervision of…

This fastback document summarizes ways that schools can establish and maintain a sound public-relations program. It states that public relations should be on an equal footing with all other school functions, especially since public schools are facing increasing competition from nonpublic schools. When developing a public-relations plan, an…

In Fall 1995, the National Center on Fathers and Families (NCOFF) established the Fathers and Families Roundtable Series, designed to examine and address critical research, practice, and policy issues embedded in NCOFF's "core learnings" about fatherhood and in work on fathers and families. Each of the first seven roundtables focused on a…

Research on the news media's reporting on suicide and mental illness is understudied in Australia despite the controversial nature of much coverage and its possible consequences for a variety of audiences. This paper critiques the underlying assumptions of most international research in this area, which follows a media imitation or contagion…

In April 2000, over 250 rural leaders from around the nation gathered in Kansas City, Missouri, to discuss rural America's future, its challenges, and policies to meet those challenges. Conference participants agreed that the current pattern of uneven rural growth is likely to persist and that agriculture will remain a key sector in the rural…

This policy study looks at existing and emerging state policies on social promotion to determine the extent to which students with disabilities are included or excluded. Results reflect the status of state polices at one point in time, as determined from publicly available state documents and statutes of 14 states with promotion policies. The…

The first of three papers from this symposium, "If We Can't Define HRD in One Country, How Can We Define It in an International Context?" (Gary N. Mc Lean, Laird D. McLean), questions the possibility of defining human resource development (HRD) in a worldwide context. Several factors were found that influence a country's and an individual's…

The College Scholarship Service (CSS) Council Task Force on Reauthorization presented its recommendations to the CSS Council in December 2002. The Task Force focused its recommendations on issues that address the overarching goal of ensuring access to higher education for the most needy students. The recommendations reflect the consensus of CSS…

This book is a collection of 19 essays that broadly treat the use of evidence in informing educational policy and practice in Canada: (1) "Knowledge and Action in Educational Policy and Politics" (Benjamin Levin); (2) "Data, Data Everywhere (and We Don't Know What to Do): Using Data for Wise Decisions in Schools" (Lorna M.…

This paper seeks to help state policymakers understand their relatively new role in improving the academic performance of local schools and districts. The first section, "Intervention Decision-Making Framework," focuses on the intervention decision making framework model, performance criteria, strategic criteria, diagnostic…

This paper, which focuses on access and enrollment at community colleges, is part of a series published by the Center for Community College Policy, designed to support state and local policymakers, as well as educational leaders who are interested in policy issues related to the two-year postsecondary sector. While some students plan on earning a…

The theory of perspective transformation was used as a framework for a study of volunteerism among older adults, examining whether volunteering in community organizations in late adulthood brings about transformation in meaning structures in later life development, and if and how it affects aging at both the individual and societal levels. Two…

This report presents the findings of a governor's task force charged with developing the mission and direction of education in Wisconsin. The document provides the background behind the formation of the task force and the role of education in the state's economy. It relates how education represents the state's largest expenditure and describes the…