Describes recent structural, curricular, and ideological changes in Czechoslovakian schools: closure of many business-operated vocational schools, declining vocational enrollment, localization of educational decision making, emergence of private and religious schools, church-state conflicts over ownership of school buildings, emphasis on…

In response to changing government philosophy concerning higher education, including increased institutional autonomy alongside greater pressure for accountability and internal renewal, Dutch universities have developed a system for external quality assessment under the aegis of the Association of Dutch Universities. Its evolution and results to…

The French ideal of comprehensive secondary education was based on a notion of equal educational opportunity through standardized schooling that was becoming politically outmoded as it was being implemented. Plans for truly comprehensive lower secondary education have not been very significant, and the comprehensive schools for students from 11-15…

Reviews development of evaluation studies together with key epistemological and conceptual issues. Uses identified concepts to analyze peer review, the traditional mode of evaluation in higher education institutions in the United Kingdom and other European countries. Lists criteria for improvement, including: range of knowledge; critical analysis…

Public college and university administrators are concerned about steady erosion of immunities and tort caps traditionally relied upon for protection against lawsuits. In this context, institutions must consider their protection in these areas: extension of protection to all employees; scope of employment; nongovernmental functions; foundations and…

The ability of the university culture to adapt to changing environmental conditions that challenge the institution's primary functions and values (academic freedom, autonomy) is discussed, and management approaches that mirror the specific culture of a university are described. Methods for assessing culture are described, a typology for…

Describes important court decisions which illustrate the relationship and potential tension between the academic freedom of an individual professor and the academic freedom of the university as an institution. (EV)

Describes the advantages of charter schools, which are started by individuals or groups in the community and can set their own educational agendas and goals. More states are passing or expanding charter school laws every year. Benefits include autonomy, site-based management, increased parental involvement, and increased teacher control.…

Suggests that in planning transformative change in South African higher education, it is important to analyze the status quo and understand the legacy of apartheid, including less obvious features. Notes the need to revisit the role of the academy in social democratization and modernization in order to establish a firm framework and make progress…

For those who would like to see Ron Wolk's vision of schools realized, the challenge of scaling up is the most daunting one faced. Skeptics like to say, "Oh well, that 'X' and 'Y' did something really special is irrelevant; they're exceptions." But the author's experience suggests that today's exceptions can become tomorrow's norms. If that is to…

Of the many arguments for charter schools, one is crucial: that charters should be deliberately, thoughtfully, boldly different from existing mainline public middle and high schools. The evidence of the ineffectiveness of the traditional design of K-12 education, especially that of middle and high schools, serving both rich and poor, is…

Genealogies, or histories of the present, create critical spaces to remind us of the non-necessity of that which we consider necessary to our lives (Burchell 1993). Further, genealogies of governmentality attempt to create this space with a focus on how conduct is conducted. In this paper I suggest that genealogies of governmentality are one way…

A significant global trend during the 1990s is the restructuring of higher education systems. The essence of this restructuring process is a redefinition of the relationship between institutions of higher learning, the state, and the market, and a drastic reduction of institutional autonomy. This article is an analysis of the restructuring process…

In April 2004, all national universities, which had previously been legally subordinate to MEXT (Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture), were given a legal personality and became "National University Corporations". With this change, each national university now enjoys greater autonomy vis-a-vis the government in terms of how it uses…

When armed police officers, with no warrant, confiscated and searched the computer from this author's state university office, she began to cross-examine her relationship to computers and to investigate professors' computer privacy at public universities. She had violated no university policy. She had simply received an anonymous e-mail (an e-mail…