Parent involvement in Portuguese government-sponsored schools is examined, focusing on the relationships between schools and parents of low economic and social status. This study was conducted in spring 1987 by a study team of 18 members, who interviewed more than 257 parents and teachers in nine of the country's districts. A brief…

School staff members need continuing opportunities to learn and grow because the waves of social change strike them first and most powerfully. Research on effective schools tends to stress staff development as crucial. School boards are involved in the development of their staff. A staff development program of broad scope and sharp focus can…

This paper presents a case study of a rural community exhibiting a dramatic turnaround in community support for a new school bond issue. Demographic change was partly responsible for the change in community attitudes, with two waves of immigration altering the long-term conservative orientation of this community. After a series of failed…

This guide from the Public Libraries Association (PLA) describes a planning process to be used by individual library systems to establish their own standards appropriate to local conditions and needs; design strategies to reach those needs; and inaugurate a planning cycle that involves continuous monitoring of progress and regular adjustment of…

A survey of decentralization efforts of the central administrative boards in Sweden shows that over the past half-century, very little happened until the 1980s. As a result, administrative boards acquired fewer regulatory and more informative, activating, and investigative duties. This paper describes the relationships of three national…

The task of improving educational administrator preparation is one of epic proportions. The magnitude of the task is expressed using allusions to the epic style and the myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece. The paper presents a quick "environmental scan" to determine how visionary and revolutionary are some current ideas for improvements…

The Chicago Public Schools have recently been restructured by the Illinois General Assembly, radically altering patterns of governance (voice) and patterns of choice in Chicago. This paper analyzes the history of the Chicago restructuring campaign and the specific conception of school-based governance enacted into law. The paper also analyzes the…

This report presents results of a study of the effectiveness of the Comer Process, also known as the School Development Program (SDP) in the Milliken II Schools, Prince Georges County, Maryland. The process was introduced in the school system in summer 1985 to improve effectiveness of schools that could not be integrated because of their…

The efforts of student affairs aimed at improving quality of life, integrating new student groups, and attracting and retaining students are becoming critical to colleges and universities. Student affairs organizations can respond to the changing conditions and take a leadership role in new institutional strategies; they can become…

In recent years there has been considerable debate about the appropriate role, management structure, and activities for the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). This background paper identifies key issues that require attention by Congress and by NTIS itself to increase the effectiveness of NTIS in the collection and dissemination of…

The Commission of the European Communities (CEC) has proposed a program for practical cooperation among Member States in secondary education. The strategies and methods of cooperation developed in two previous action programs must be adapted to the evolving situation of the 1990s. Factors of particular importance are continuing structural change…

A discussion of the future of adult second language learning in Great Britain begins with an overview of the field's current state. It is argued that the large number of adults pursuing foreign language learning in a variety of institutions is not matched by quality of offerings, and attrition is high. A national testing program was developed in…

The paper analyzes the problem of campus bigotry with emphasis on anti-semitic incidents, identifies effective and ineffective responses, and suggests a plan for college administrators to follow. The following questions are briefly considered: why should we care about bigotry on campus? is bigotry on campus really increasing? and why is there an…

Among the most important needs of changing economies is the need to respond to technological changes, economic restructuring, and labor market changes. Although formal vocational training schools do not usually respond well to changing economic circumstances, nonformal and proprietary or private institutions usually are highly responsive to the…

This paper considers the role that teacher educators accord to subject matter knowledge in helping teachers to change their practice. Two inservice programs that aim to effect radical change in teachers' practices are examined, one focusing on the teaching of mathematics and the other on the teaching of writing. Drawing on data from interviews and…