Explores the effectiveness of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) public affairs program regulation through analysis of annual reports for 75 television stations, examining amount of time for public issues programing, amount of local affairs programing, total prime time programing, and whether FCC standards are met. (CWM)

Considers how the closure and consolidation of schools are seen by cash-strapped boards of education as means to save money. Addresses the same "seven red herrings" or arguments that are repeated loudly and angrily to officials as they go through the process of public consultation. (SG)

Notes four strategies that will almost certainly result in losing a school bond election, then discusses four strategies that increase the probability of passage. (SR)

Discussion of decision making focuses on a study that was conducted to examine how policymakers at the local community level use social science information in making decisions. The use of social science information and other information sources in two communities examining health care issues is described. (Contains 18 references.) (LRW)

Describes a strategy for selecting a delivery method for electronic resources based on experiences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Considers local conditions, pricing, feature options, hardware costs, and network availability and presents a model for evaluating the decision based on dollar requirements and local issues. (Author/LRW)

Surveyed all Virginia school board chairmen and superintendents on local governance issues. Discusses both groups' perceptions of board members' orientation to their role as elected representatives, their personal attitude toward the electoral process, their assessment of interest-group involvement in district decision making, their feelings…

Contends that music teachers promote arts education on a daily basis and may want to consider writing for a local newspaper as another means for advocacy. Offers guidelines for becoming the arts news writer, such as sending in a query letter and sample articles to the newspaper, and content for the columns. (CMK)

''Coming home to eat'' [Nabhan, 2002. Coming Home to Eat: The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods. Norton, New York] has become a clarion call among alternative food movement activists. Most food activist discourse makes a strong connection between the localization of food systems and the promotion of environmental sustainability and social…

In November 2001 the Finnish Ministry of Education published a working group report on the internationalisation strategy for higher education, and shortly after another report concentrating on the local dimensions and effects of higher education. In the era of internationalisation and globalisation, local concerns seem to be so great that the…

This article reviews the development of Community Consortia for Education and Training (CCET) in Wales, and explores their role in the development of a cohesive post-16 learning strategy. The article examines the development of the formation of one such consortium as a case study. A range of challenges are identified for making effective progress.…

This article describes ways that conversations constituted ethnographic research for students and teachers in Kazakhstan. Through dialogues with local community members, students worked as researchers to develop knowledge about cultural patterns and social life. Ethnographic research and writing provided valuable language and research experiences…

The past 20 years have seen a growth in the teaching of marketing in business schools around the world. This article reports the trends and challenges that will face U.S. marketing educators teaching abroad over the next 10 years. Predictions are from a Delphi panel of U.S. marketing educators experienced in teaching marketing abroad to non-U.S.…

This paper reviews the New York State Small City School District (SCSD) school budget voting policy debate. State policymakers are debating whether to change from representative to referendum school budget voting in the 57 SCSDs. After examining the arguments, recent research, and possible costs and benefits of referendum budget voting, three…

This study, proposed by the West Virginia School Boards Association at the request of the West Virginia Legislature's Oversight Committee was designed to examine the kinds of decisions and nature of actions of local school boards in West Virginia between July 1985 and July 1990. A qualitative research design consisting of emergent category…

Interviews were conducted with 35 grass roots activists from middle-sized U.S. cities and small towns to learn about their perspectives and activities. No effort was made to obtain a representative sample of activists. The five main approaches to social change encountered were represented by members of the ideological and political left, by…