The historical and current balance among the federal, state, and local levels in the control of education is reviewed in this report, with a focus on effective schools research and the management of change. Five policy instruments are described, which include mandates, inducements, capacity-building, system-changing, and leadership. A conceptual…

As this country's first appointed "drug czar," William Bennett developed a set of proposals for a national campaign against drug abuse. These included: expanding the national prison capacity by 85 percent; providing additional fiscal support for states and local areas that adopt anti-drug laws; and increasing the availablility of…

This volume provides information and recommendations about public relations to assist school administrators in developing effective communication. The document contains 15 chapters. "The Scope of Public Relations," chapter 1, specifies characteristics of and individuals responsible for an effective program. Chapter 2, "Personal Public Relations,"…

Beginning with a review of signs and signals of public attitudes toward American education over the last 15 years, this paper analyzes some concerns regarding public confidence in public schools. Following a brief introduction, issues involved in the definition and behavioral attributes of confidence are mentioned. A synopsis of three approaches…

If teaching is to develop fully as a profession, the public must be made aware of the historical foundation of the present literacy crisis and the necessity for better learning conditions for students. Literacy standards adopted by the public progressed from oral literacy (speaking fluently), through signature literacy (signing one's name),…

Of the 255 Arkansas school districts responding to a questionnaire, 67 percent received resource support from the private sector. Contributed services were reported by 48 percent of the districts receiving support, monetary contributions by 46 percent, equipment and supplies by 40 percent, and buildings and land by 6 percent. Corporations provided…

This paper describes the social context for and the provision of child care services in Scandinavia. Particular emphasis is given to Denmark and Sweden. Occasionally, comparisons are made in the paper between Scandinavian countries and the United States, and differing attitudes toward the poor are pointed out. In the Scandinavian countries…

This paper outlines the design and outcomes of an investigation comparing a day care program and home-rearing of infants and preschool children and discusses at length some issues involved in day care research. The study proposed to develop and evaluate a program at a Toronto municipal day care center which accepted infants, and compare the…

This report summarizes responses to a public opinion survey designed to reveal attitudes towards secondary education in other countries and compares these with attitudes in the United States. The survey was conducted in the United States and 11 other countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCED). The other…

As part of its function of providing information about all kinds of educational activities, the Bureau of Education, beginning with its report for 1870, has periodically collected and published statistics of public, society, and school libraries, recently at intervals of about five years. This bulletin is comprised of statistics gathered from the…

Maintains that spreading poverty in Europe has weakened social cohesion and now threatens the construction of the European Community. Initially centered on issues concerning the distribution of resources and goods, the discussion increasingly has focused on the breakdown of social relationships and the question of citizen's rights. (MJP)

Discusses the use of a universal choice plan as leverage for a wide range of school improvements in the Springfield Public School System (Massachusetts). The author examines the educational reform movement in terms of change coupled with concurrent development of four transformations: organizational, pedagogical, social/attitudinal, and political.…

Pursuing fiscal input equity will not produce a more equitable society or mitigate children's home and neighborhood environments. Standardizing funding provokes greatest voter dissatisfaction in wealthier districts. Four institutional elements (teachers' unions, school governance, school discipline restrictions, and special education) produce…

This follow-up study of a 1979 survey of families involved in New York City's public day care program is based on field interviews with a random sample of 211 families in contact with the program in the past 4 years. Section 1 of this report describes the Agency for Child Development's day care programs for children from low-income working…

The articles in this journal issue reflect the theme of "passages." Five articles contain teachers' reflections and descriptions of the following forms of passage: (1) passing from the classroom to motherhood and back again; (2) passing from academe to the world of work--the retraining of literature professors; (3) ways in which students gain…