A study investigated the people and actions related to two successful gifted advocacy events that included state legislative changes. Five ingredients of success represented the key characteristics common to the leaders in each advocacy group: passion, preparation, inspiration, perseverance, and the ability to take advantage of serendipity.…

Discusses how to find statistical data on the Internet, particularly with awareness of lag times associated with posted data and of the large quantity of university sources. Lists World Wide Web sites under the headings of metasites, agriculture, banking, business, crime, economics, education, energy, government, health, international, local…

Examines the evolution of the information services market over the past decade, encompassing both supply and demand. Discusses market barriers, political challenges and critical success factors of the Internet, principal service providers, costs/pricing, intellectual property rights and knowledge management, strategic planning, the intranet,…

Examines school and university curricula in Europe and the extent of their influence on xenophobia. Considers the pluralistic nature of the European population. Discusses the role of curriculum selection and language policy in state efforts to promote nationalism. Assesses the role of curricular systems in the actual encouragement of warfare,…

Compares educational policy changes in such areas as language of instruction and curriculum during postcolonial transition in Singapore during the 1960s and in Hong Kong during the 1990s. Discusses the extent to which the regional autonomy promised to Hong Kong by China is possible. Contains 32 references. (SV)

Explores the influences of two teacher associations, the Geographical Association and the National Association of Teachers of Home Economics and Technology, on the development of a national curriculum in the United Kingdom between 1976 and 1994. Although active, the organizations were fraught with internal dissent, organizational problems, and…

Complains that during a time of economic strength, a nation led by a Democratic president is producing a higher-education plan that does nothing to help poor people go to college. Instead, political efforts attempt to reduce educational costs for the predominantly white upper-middle and wealthy classes whose children are already almost certain to…

Argues that the fact that there are more Japanese students studying in the United States than there are U.S. students in Japan is not a problem in itself, but that the United States should develop and sustain its expertise on Japan. Educators and exchange specialists should cooperate to expand academic, work-study, and internship programs in…

Examines the various ways that social sciences can promote the social and governmental transformative process in Eastern Europe. Defines three functions of social sciences: to reveal real processes, to understand and diagnose problems, and to foresee future trends. Discusses the tensions among social scientists and policy makers and politicians.…

Presents a critical analysis of the reform of French preservice teacher education since 1990; in particular examining the difficulty of introducing change and noting how clearly defined political decisions can be diluted in the implementation stage by various stakeholders. Examines the creation and organization of new teacher training institutes,…

Narrative research creates such political issues as validation of narrative knowledge, relationships of power and authority, and distinction between the public and private domains. Issues examined are the politics of research in a "narrative" mode, which challenges traditional research; issues of power in collaborative research…

Reviews a book on the politics of educational change in Nicaragua, 1979-93. Following the revolution, the Sandinistas drastically revised curriculum and methods of instruction. However, when they lost political power, education in Nicaragua became contested terrain marked by fierce ideological debates, eventually rendering educational reform a…

The No Child Left Behind Act reflects a decision by Congress that federal money not be squandered searching for local solutions, but that scientifically based research be utilized to ensure that every student meets academic standards. The school improvement process requires that local stakeholders cooperatively plan an improvement process, and…

Examines connections between democratization of schooling and three dimensions of social structure: political system and governance, wealth/poverty, and gender relations. Discusses nine processes and strategies for democratization in education: definition of democracy, legislation and policy, decentralization of education, teacher education,…

The La Crosse (Wisconsin) School Board turned to the comprehensive school board development program offered by the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) for help in governance policy. The board adopted John Carver's Policy Governance model consisting of ends policies, executive limitations, board and superintendent relationship, and…