Research reports and articles on the effectiveness of technology in the student learning environment reflect a variety of opinions and conclusions. Educators who are making decisions about the use of technology will want to examine research results with the following questions in mind: Do research results and expert opinions support the continued…

Historically, legal issues have not been well represented in the higher education research literature. Two sources, however, regularly discuss legal issues: the Journal of College and University Law and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Three main themes emerge in the literature on legal issues: (1) rethinking and refining of traditional…

Case studies of 19 U.S. companies involved in welfare-to-work programs found that political and economic factors have accelerated the rate at which employers are hiring welfare recipients. Although participation in welfare-to-work programs is dominated by larger firms in a few industries (such as service and retail sectors), there is potential for…

Noting that 182,000 of Wisconsin's children are living below the poverty line, this report documents factors affecting the working poor of Wisconsin, combining labor market and wage data with profiles of families and their children from communities throughout the state. The report documents the surge in poverty-wage jobs in Wisconsin over the past…

For more than a decade, many researchers and practitioners have endorsed a "positive youth development" approach, which views adolescents as active contributors to their own development and as assets to their communities. As part of this shift, youth are increasingly being invited to engage in community governance. In youth…

Energy development has led many people concerned with the American West to consider it a powerless colony of outside interests. The characteristics of colonies, particularly external control by energy companies and the federal government, and the applicability of these characteristics to the West are discussed. (IS)

Discusses sexual harassment in the academic environment. In nine articles discusses issues in development and implementation of sexual harassment policies, informal grievance procedures, and counseling techniques for dealing with sexual harassment. Presents survey results documenting harassment on college campuses and an annotated listing of…

Compares Federal court-ordered school desegregation plans in urban and rural Tennessee school districts. Indicates that approaches differed with varying district characteristics. Suggests that community responses to plans were influenced by such factors as racial composition; customs; leaders' attitudes; environmental and economic conditions; and…

The lesson learned form Coleman I and II is that policy making is not a kind of linear transmission of research findings into policy decisions. Social science research can heighten the awareness among policy makers and the general public of aspects of social issues and help to reconceptualize certain aspects. (MLW)

Discusses the bilingual education-ESL (English as a Second Language) controversy, revealing similarities between accepted definitions of both approaches. Explains ESL theory and essential elements of bilingual education programs from an ESL viewpoint. Describes possible contributions to bilingual education programs from ESL teachers. Calls for…

Examines Chicago's governance reforms as one case of corporate influence on public school policy making. Discusses the role of local political institutions and corporate organizational resources. Corporate associations were involved in both policymaking and policy implementation. (SM)

Two developments require college governing boards and presidents to focus on executive compensation policies: the New York Regents' removal of the Adelphi University (New York) board over presidential salary and benefits, and federal legislation empowering the Internal Revenue Service to impose sanctions for excessive compensation in tax-exempt…

Describes the successful, grass-roots approach to staff development at Winona Middle School in Winona, Minnesota. Discusses categories of learners from early adapters to technophobes, staff training models, technical support, networking, policy plans, funding, and new challenges. (AEF)

A model of state policymaking affecting private higher education involves three constructs of policy posture: laissez faire; central planning; and market competition. Relationships of the policies and postures to state characteristics and policy outcome proxies are explored, and policy implications are drawn. The analysis suggests that…

Describes how Norfolk (Virginia) Public Schools formulated, implemented, and benefited from a mandatory student uniform policy. Student benefits include enhanced self-image, improved academic indicator ratings, and increased participation. School benefits include a dramatic decline in discipline infractions, improved attendance, and an improvement…