To determine if a relationship can be found between school size and academic achievement, a study examined correlations for 566 New Mexico public schools (grades 5, 8, and 11) from 1978 to 1981. The measure of academic achievement used was the schools' average "total scale score" on the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills. The two…

Although education and other quasi-public services are financed by the government in both Holland and Sweden, the public/private division of finance and provision of these services that exists in Holland has no counterpart in Sweden, where provision of services is delegated to local governments and the private nonprofit sector is negligible.…

This report addresses the issue of whether Ontario's investment in elementary education is adequate. Specific questions are posed, reviews of relevant literature conducted, and an assessment of the soundness and completeness of existing evidence is made. After an introductory overview, chapter 2 presents a series of five tables illustrating…

This report is based on data collected in a 2-year study of the implementation of Chapter 2 of the Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981, which combined the funds from 28 federal programs into a single block grant. This study investigated the effects of the act on 12 school districts, in an effort to obtain a better general…

Beginning with a capsule history of United States education reform efforts and an examination of the American "myth" of the apolitical nature of education, this paper explores the political bases of education policy. Reviewing the literature on educational politics with a particular concern for recent curriculum reform efforts at the state level,…

This publication is a general overview of American school boards that explains how they function and why their continued operation is crucial to sustaining participatory and representative government. It comprises five chapters that cover the following topics: (1) a general summary of the significance of school board service; (2) the roles and…

This handbook was written to help school boards conduct routine business meetings more efficiently, and thereby improve their ability to reach constructive decisions and solve problems. After a brief introduction, the first chapter focuses on organizing the new school board, electing officers, adopting policies, and appointing committees. The…

This paper sets forth and clarifies state-level policy issues that are implicit in the recommendations for reform provided by recent major reports on the status of American education. For each report under consideration, four questions are posed: (1) Who is recommending what? (2) Does the recommendation make sense in a state's total program? (3)…

Intended to help readers develop an appreciation of the contributions of Franco-Americans to the cultural heritage of the United States, this book, the third of six volumes, presents 17 readings representing many perspectives--from the historical to the sociological--illustrating the thinking and feelings of those in the forefront of…

Teacher insurgency is on the rise as critical educators refuse to accept the authoritarianism of English-only reforms by struggling to undermine current educational policies while at the same time advancing alternatives. Federal hijacking of language policies -- presently manifested by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) -- is being met with…

The wide-ranging impact of social, political and economic forces on higher education and their specific consequences for faculty, students, and administrators is addressed within the broad context of autonomy and accountability. The book is organized around several themes. The first section discusses such basic issues as: the historical…

Discusses teaching and learning English as a foreign language in its cultural context, and the culture of the native speaker of English and its relation to the culture of the learner. Native-speaking teachers should recognize the international status of English and work from local varieties of the language. (Author/LMO)

This broad introduction to adult and postcompulsory education offers an overview of the field for students, adult educators and workplace trainers. The book establishes an analytical framework to emphasize the nature of learning and agency of learners; examines the core knowledge and skills that adult educators need; discusses policy, research and…

This book documents the "brave new world" of teacher, administrator, school, and student accountability that has swept across the United States in recent years. Its particular vantage point is the perspective of dozens of new teachers trying to make their way through their first months and years working in schools in the New York City…

This book discusses popular myths about educating students in a multilinguistic society. It examines the following themes: the demographics of second language learners; the theory underlying language instruction; desirable qualifications for bilingual teachers; effective teaching methods and programs; language and politics; and language and the…