In New South Wales as for other Australian colonies, the achievement of mainly free, compulsory and secular public education systems in the 1870s was a cause of self- satisfaction and a belief that late nineteenth-century Australian public schools were among the best in the world. In this paper, the process by which this self-satisfaction was…

This study attempts to evaluate the impacts of macro-structural factors on political freedom in developing countries (DCs). Political freedom is conceptualized as civil liberty and political rights the general population of a society can enjoy in influencing public policy. The Freedom House indexes are used as measures of freedom. In explaining…

When Singapore underwent decolonization after World War II, its government--keen on constructing a Singapore-centered identity--sought to replace Chinese schools, which taught a China-centered worldview. This attempt provoked tough resistance from the local Chinese. Succumbing to this pressure, the ruling regime accommodated Chinese schools as…

Strong education and training systems are viewed as a route to increased labour market participation for groups that have traditionally been excluded from, or marginalised in, the labour market. Engagement in the labour force for such groups has both individual and societal benefits. However, while this emphasis on an increased role for the state…

This study sought to identify a norm for teaching development at five different higher education institutions. Identifying institutional norms is important because much of individual behavior in an institution is governed by such norms. Faculty (N=145) at five institutions (a community college district, two liberal arts colleges, a comprehensive…

This report to the Florida State Legislature answers questions posed by the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee regarding the gifted and talented program in elementary and secondary schools. Questions address: identification of districts offering the program only for specific grade levels, effects of delaying the identification and placement of…

This special report reviews key aspects of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 and its implications for Illinois. The report describes the major stipulations in the federal welfare bill and summarizes the impact on Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC); food stamp, child care, Medicaid, and…

Alberta jurisdictions have been required since June 1985 to have in place and to implement a provincial policy on teacher evaluation. This study was designed to explore the impact of these policies on teachers and teaching and to study linkages between teacher evaluation and educational leadership at the school and systems levels. Methods used to…

This paper offers concrete examples from recent policy research about how qualitative and quantitative methods can be combined to better address research questions. Using a conceptual framework developed by Rossman and Wilson (1985), later expanded by Greene, Caracelli, and Graham (1989), the paper discusses how the design and analysis phases of…

This document reviews programs and policy options for states concerned with methods of financing medical education. An introductory section considers the current climate for medical education and the health care workforce, noting the rapid movement to managed care and the need to increase the number of primary care physicians. The next section…

Intended to provide background information and preliminary options for the California Community Colleges' Commission on Innovation, this document proposes that approval processes for new facilities be simplified and that restrictions on the lease or purchase of off-campus facilities be eased. Following introductory materials detailing the…

This report responds to Colorado Senate Bill 92-155 by describing the policy changes, new policies and practices, and incentives established to accomplish the legislative purpose, namely, to reduce the average length of time that undergraduate students take to complete their degrees. The report summarizes governing board reports and the actions…

This report is designed to provide members of Congress and the general public with information about the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), in light of the fact that a number of provisions of the National School Lunch and Child Nutrition Acts are to be reauthorized during the current congressional term. It contains a description of the NSLP and…

This report argues that evidence exists for the case that the charter school movement is largely a failed reform. The report puts the charter school movement in the context of dissatisfaction with public schools and the public sector in general. It then describes the claims for charters made by the early charter school advocates, emphasizing the…

A stocktake of issues and activities in vocational education and training in schools through the perspectives of the published literature and policy documentation between 1997 and 2003 is the subject of this report. It identifies progress made and concludes that vocational programs in schools are meeting expectations and have achieved a legitimate…