The myths, politics, and realities of public school choice in Canada are explored. With the crisis of confidence in the public education system that has been documented in recent years, parents are seeking to ensure academic success for their children through choice of schools, under the theory that there is no universal best school model. Public…

This report describes key policy decisions that have shaped the New Mexico system of higher education during the past third of a century and links those decisions to current educational outcomes. The study was part of a larger study that aimed at understanding the linkages between policy decisions and higher education performance through…

This paper reports on a study of site-level resource managers in schools. The paper brings together experiences of the United Kingdom and the United States educational systems to explore issues of educational resource management at the school-site level. The paper focuses on the role of the bursar, the term used in the U.K. to describe a senior…

This book examines charter-school legislation in the United States, as well as charter-school operations in Colorado, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Georgia. It reviews the legislative process in these four states, focusing on the compromises forged as lawmakers worked for adoption. It describes whether the states' resulting programs provide…

Lack of overall planning has caused a malaise in Australian higher education. National policy-making has evolved through changes in the power structure and governments' interrelationships. Results include erosion of university autonomy, trends toward standardization within the system, and budgeting that does not consider individual institutional…

Four institutional/school value conflicts or dilemmas which educators face in confronting the dropout problem in high schools are analyzed: (1) public accountability vs. professional autonomy; (2) subjective vs. objective authority structure; (3) extended vs. specialized educational responsibility; and (4) diverse vs. common student work and…

The effects of budgetary constraints on British higher education are examined, especially as they affect institutional autonomy in resource allocation and staffing. The extent to which other European governments have similar problems and policies is discussed. (Author/MSE)

Sweeney is the first higher education case in which a court overruled unanimous peer recommendation against promotion and tenure. The possible implications for the peer review or collegial model of making faculty promotion and tenure decisions are examined, and more thorough and objective decision methods are recommended. (MSE)

Some kind of coalition of universities, corporations, and other private organizations, it is argued, will be necessary to gain sufficient credibility to influence public policy. The complexities of modern mass media communication and of public policy issues have reached levels that justify a review of university and corporate roles. (MLW)

The impact of the 1979 Williams Committee Report on Education and Training on three Australian universities is examined. The influence of public policy as implemented by Australian federal and state governments is discussed, including effects on institutional autonomy and competition for students. (Author/MLW)

During the 1980's shifts in social, economic, and political forces will be such that major changes will be necessary if educational agencies are to continue to provide a relevant and necessary service to the society that supports them. Institutions must accept change and become skilled in the change activities required. (Author/MLW)

Native American education received little attention until after the Civil War. Landmarks in Indian education since then include the Carlisle Indian School, the Meriam Report, the Johnson O'Malley Act, the Navajo Community College Act, and the Indian Education Act. This Congressional legislation survey mirrors the changing motives for Indian…

Nine rules can help governing boards address college governance problems: encourage enthusiasm in the administration; face problems early; get adequate facts; promote management, not bureaucracy; ask appropriate questions; evaluate performance; create incentives; focus on the individual campus; and deal with external forces. (Author/JMD)

Consideration is given to the extent to which the Supreme Court's decision in Goss v. Lopez opens the door to procedural requirements for historically discretionary in-school decisions by the boards, administrators, and teachers in public elementary and secondary schools. (LBH)

Examines issues in institutional autonomy of universities, including necessary limitations on autonomy and alternatives to government-controlled constraints. Notes five forces (competition, public opinion concerning educational quality, consumer power, the need to serve multiple constituencies, and multiple-source funding) that may exert…