Based on a study investigating rural poverty in the U.S. subregion termed the "Midsouth," this article indicates that general policies designed to promote rural economic development and reduce poverty will have substantial impact upon poor rural whites while the non-white rural poor will require special programs. (JC)

Describes a set of activities for innovation and planning that emphasizes discovery, learning by doing, action-inquiry, and participation. (Author)

The fourth meeting of the Leadership Advisory Council (LAC) was chaired by Glen D. Whipple, Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) Chair elect and was held May 22-24, 2006, in Denver, Colorado. The meeting was facilitated by Rhonda Shipp, University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service. Using the Mobius strip facilitation…

"Measuring Up 2000," published in autumn 2000, graded every state in 5 performance categories related to undergraduate higher education: preparation, participation, affordability, completion, and benefits. "Measuring Up 2000" provides each state with an indication of its performance, and with a benchmark to which it can aspire, top performance…

The French experience of the last few decades provides some lessons for policymakers seeking to meet the needs for facilities at various educational levels. Two conclusions stand out: the lasting nature and impact of educational infrastructure; and (2) policy formation stands to gain from foreseeing as fully and clearly as possible the probable…

This study examines the influence of perceived risks as well as the understudied role of benefits on alcohol and marijuana use among adolescents and adults. Ninth grade students and young adults were asked about the perceived risks and benefits of alcohol and marijuana use. Analyses showed a consistent pattern: perceived benefits were more…

This book is designed to reduce the ambiguities that accompany a governing board's policy responsibilities for academic affairs. Boards have legitimate concerns about academic program quality and faculty work, and trustees expect to participate in the difficult decisions regarding these matters. Chapter 1, The Culture of Academic Decision Making,…

This workbook is designed to assist educators in establishing a team for planning for paraeducator supports and addressing paraeducator issues. Worksheets are provided for implementing the following 10 planning steps: (1) inform the local school board of the intention to establish a team to address paraeducator issues; (2) ensure that the team…

A study of state educational policymaking revealed a number of instances where assertions have been made about what the "research says" in offering support for particular policies; however, in many of these instances the available research seems to have been distorted or exaggerated in order to better leverage particular policy…

The enactment and early implementation of remedial education policy reform was examined in Massachusetts and Oklahoma. The study also addressed the question of why "stakes for students" is an increasingly attractive option in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education reform. In these states, as in others, the high levels of…

This document contains revised policy and guidelines for the external evaluation of new graduate-level programs in the Oregon University System. Each institution in the Oregon University System that requests a new graduate-level or graduate degree program or a significant new option within an existing graduate program must complete an external…

This study examines the extent of bullying in an urban middle school and the potential differences in bullying behavior as a result of gender. An instrument consisting of 59 items was administered to all students (N=745) in grades six through eight. Regarding the effect of gender, the results presented overwhelming data supporting the fact that…

This paper examines the social, political, and economic factors that influenced the adoption and diffusion of early-elementary school class-size-reduction policies at the state level. It applies a neo-institutional framework to explain the rapid spread of class-size reduction policies throughout many state legislatures and boards of education. It…

This paper presents the views of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean and offers a strategy for how it can promote improvement. The paper attempts to produce an accurate assessment and useful policy implications. The first chapter, "A Mixed Performance," contains a general…

As a supplement to an analysis of the devolution of policymaking for immigrants from the federal government to the states, this report provides a one-page summary of each state's immigrant eligibility rules for cash, food, and health assistance programs. It also notes state naturalization initiatives begun or expanded in the wake of welfare…