Studies economic problems threatening prospects for development in rural communities. Examines "key foundations" required for economic growth, job creation, and issues of human resource development. Concludes global and technological factors forcing traditional rural economies into decline. Suggests nonmetropolitan communities invest in…

An experimental first-year course introducing law students to the law firm addressed: a single issue in contract law from both sides, writing as an advocate, the lawyer's role, legal research methods, the legislative process, the counseling function, the appellate process, and traditional legal writing. An interdisciplinary approach was used. (MSE)

The history and strategy behind the Muskingum College (Ohio) decision to reduce tuition by one-third are explained. The policy was adopted as part of a strategic plan to increase enrollment, improve entering students' test scores, boost student diversity, and slow the increase in the percentage of institutional budget earmarked for student…

A discussion of U.S. language policy formation and planning covers the following: the literacy crisis, education of language minority populations, "official" English movement, gender neutrality, federal legislation, and emerging issues such as the status of Puerto Rico, American Indian languages, foreign language education, and the…

Discusses results of a Delphi study of secondary school library media specialists that identified difficulties of students in using online and CD-ROM databases, suggested design elements and curricular and instructional strategies to make them more valuable as learning resources, and determined policy issues relating to electronic information…

This article compares Austrian higher education and employment issues to those in other nations and concludes that Austria's situation is idiosyncratic. It specifically addresses university role and structure, open access, unregulated student-institution matching, individualized study structure, low proportion of graduates in the labor force,…

A model of public opinion on government spending for child care was developed and examined. Respondents' views were depicted as a function of symbolic politics, self-interest, and demographic and control variables. Results suggest that symbolic politics were more revealing than self-interest factors in divining public opinion. (RJM)

Four themes appear consistently in discussions of college and university institutional research in the twenty-first century: accelerating change, need for information access, need for better comparative data, and the dilemma that occurs when institutional research offices are required to provide both policy analysis and technological competence.…

Overviews the role of school councils in each of the 12 Canadian provinces as part of a trend toward site-based management that empowers local communities with decision making and encourages significant input from those responsible for implementing decisions. Suggests that school councils allow parents decision-making power in the policy areas of…

The six chapters of this special issue focus on how and why educational research is, or is not, used by its intended audiences of policymakers, practitioners, and other educational researchers. Texts that accept the more traditional notions of research knowledge precede the more radical visions in this collection. (SLD)

Examines reactions of three types of stakeholder groups (administrators/policymakers, early interventionists/teachers, and parents) to the National Center on Educational Outcomes' early childhood outcomes models. Group members represented either a general early childhood perspective or an early childhood special education perspective. Presents…

This article explores the future of special education within four contexts: service delivery systems, personnel qualifications, emerging technologies, and policy developments. The paper argues for participation by all educators in active efforts to promote "best" policies and practices for the education of all children with special needs.…

College governing boards can promote good campus information management by understanding available services, monitoring changes and their relationship to priorities, supporting policies enhancing access to information, encouraging resource allocation for networking, promoting regional economic development through information use, and supporting…

Data from the 1987-88 National Assessment of Educational Progress School Questionnaire for grades 4, 8, and 12 were examined to determine relationships between policy changes and school climate and individual grouping variables. Reform is taking place where it is most needed (in large urban disadvantaged schools with non-white populations). (SLD)

Discusses policy themes that emerged from the articles in this special issue. Themes concern the complexities of public school preschool education, the need for collaboration and unified governance, the importance of the social and cultural contexts of preschool programs, and the expanding roles of federal and state agencies. (LB)