Higher education must recognize and express its concern about a growing trend for the federal government to award funds for projects but bypass the peer review process, favoring established scholars or elite institutions and undermining the competitive process. Self-restraint within higher education and adequate funding for peer review projects…

A study of the personalities and values of students in four classes during their dental school careers revealed changes in the political, economic, and social scales over time and differences between males and females on some of the scales. Similarities were found between these and 1960s dental students. (MSE)

Reviews a Minnesota study of tax concessions to private school parents and provides an analysis of the strategy of constituency mobilization. The Minnesota experience shows that a mobilized, powerful issue constituency can enforce political accountability on the bargaining process and influence educational policy. Such single issue linkages…

Considers enrollment, financial, and staffing trends affecting reduction in force in education; analyzes political, legal, and management issues involved; and explores alternatives to reduction in force from the school business administrator's viewpoint. (PGD)

Widely divergent interpretations are being made of the implementing regulations to the Hatch Amendment, which gives parents the right to inspect instructional materials and to limit their children's participation in some federally supported school programs and activities. This article briefly explains the Hatch Amendment and suggests a source of…

At a conference sponsored by the Oklahoma governor and state legislature, educators and politicians met to define goals for the college system. Colleges were urged to: meet the needs of nontraditional, older students, increase involvement with the public schools, recruit minority faculty, and better educate those involved in governance. (MLW)

The environments that seem to have the most impact on higher education are identified: demographic, economic, political, organizational, social, and technological. Insights from studies of institutions that were not successful in coping are presented. The part strategic planning can play in enabling institutions to cope with pressures is…

Describes how ideas that grew out of Ron Edmonds's research were translated into educational policy in New York. Focuses on the three primary components in Edmonds's broad attempt to redefine and implement educational equity: desegregation, school effects, and effective schools. Also details Edmonds's innovative attempt to end social promotion in…

Investigates administrative metaphors and the school principalship in the current literature. Three metaphors--maintenance, survival, and vision--are explored through participant observation of the behavior of five principals. (MLF)

By focusing on the entire community as stakeholders in the public schools, the school board, the superintendent, and principals are forced to identify and cultivate the diverse groups in the community. Eight essential steps to developing an effective stakeholder management strategy are listed. (Author/DCS)

Analysis of a school district where merit pay has existed for 30 years and a more general review of other merit pay proposals led to the disclosure of eight critical issues to be considered before the actual implementation of merit pay programs. (MLF)

The French university student strike from December 1975 to May 1976, in opposition to national higher education reform efforts, is examined in the context of a theory of student movements that sees the student as a social actor situated in the midst of conflicts inherent in a programmed, technological society. (MSE)

Higher education lobbyists in Washington work as liaisons between their institutions and the federal government. The experiences of several lobbyists are described. Lobbying is seen as a game of knowing the people who can help and showing the legislators how a side of an issue benefits them. (MLW)

Suggestions are presented to help vocational education programs become effective lobbyists: decide what you want, choose the appropriate forum, take a position, review current laws, know what is allowed, identify your leaders, form a network, cultivate legislative leaders, take part in hearings, provide information, testify, and build working…

Four social studies teachers are interviewed to find out what they think about current social studies issues. Topics discussed include what teachers, administrators, the public, professional organizations, and colleges can do to improve instruction; the most important course content; teachers' vulnerability to political pressure; and major…