California Senate Bill 620, "Healthy Start," was sponsored by Governor Pete Wilson as the centerpiece of his prevention-focused initiative for children. The program involves schools in community partnerships to restructure children's services. The first projects were funded in 1991-92 with a $20 million appropriation. Key concepts and…

Describes the development of the Supreme Court Opinion Network (SCON) which evolved from the need for the Electronic Dissemination of Opinions (EDO). The roles of the Court, vendors, and publishers are explained; funding is discussed; and the computer system that ultimately emerged, Project Hermes, is described. (Contains 16 references.) (LRW)

Explores making cities livable in developing nations in the immediate future, exploring options for urban finance including decentralization. The importance of public education in bringing about the necessary partnerships to improve urban conditions is discussed. (SLD)

Clarifies the process through which people can obtain approval as school social workers by the State of Michigan Department of Education. Describes the history of school social work in Michigan and illustrates the potential and pitfalls of statewide efforts to promote and regulate schools social work. Explains recent efforts to establish…

Describes several innovative types of shared family-care arrangements that demonstrate promise in the protection of children and the promotion of family well-being. Emphasizes the shared-family foster-care model, whereby children and parents are placed with host families rather than separating them. Notes key elements of the model: funding and…

After 2 decades of effort and investment, new technologies remain tangential in most American classrooms. To integrate technology, schools must clarify learning goals, identify classroom opportunities, provide funding and equipment, stress robust staff development, combine rich information with powerful tools, match rigorous program assessment to…

Discusses the problem of school deterioration and why it happened, the costs for repair, and the lack of federal relief in correcting it. Arizona's state funding effort for school maintenance and repair and the legal hurdles faced in developing plans for that purpose are examined. (GR)

A review of some alumni research conducted at Stanford University (California) and the ways the findings have been used indicates the range of development and alumni-relations issues for which market research can be valuable. It also demonstrates the value of ongoing, rather than occasional, research. (Author/MSE)

Discusses elements of the higher-education funding system that may be applicable for funding early-childhood programs. Examines how the higher education model can help in the design of more adequate financing of early care and education. Maintains that this model can increase political support and infuse more resources into early care and…

Examines the effects of urban private and religious schools on concepts of diversity, choice, funding, and results. Urban private schools, far more important to U.S. education than their numbers and size might indicate, will continue their growth and diversity in the future. Contains 44 references. (SLD)

Information-technology planning at higher-education institutions should be derived from academic planning at the institutional, school, and department levels, and must respond to associated issues of leadership, sustainable funding, productivity, and faculty motivation. The academic information-technology-planning process at the University of…

Reviews the activities and research projects in education supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The Foundation's current emphases are on the humanities, campus diversity, granting fellowships, and working with premier institutions. Recent publications by Mellon staff have increased the visibility of the Foundation's activities. (DB)

A number of college and university consortia have embarked on international educational cooperation ventures, providing valuable experiences and benefits for faculty, students, alumni, and the community. For these programs to be effective, they must have high-level institutional support, equal opportunities to participate, effective marketing and…

Offers guidelines for creating a strategic plan for a college or university's annual fund. Identifies benefits of strategic planning and describes six planning approaches using examples from various institutions. Two planning prototypes, from McKendree College (Illinois) and the University of Southern California, are included. (DB)

Guidelines for conducting an annual fund at colleges and universities stress the importance of aggregate donor behavior and donor value, rather than solicitation technique, in driving strategic planning and goal-setting. Suggests fund raisers track three measures of donor participation: donor retention, lapsed donor reactivation, and new donor…