Discusses five characteristics of policy making within governmental sectors and the consequences of each for the social sciences: (1) degree of centralization, (2) characteristics of major policy actors; (3) characteristics of major institutions, (4) nature of decisions made by the sector, and (5) availability of alternate source of information.…

The status of current planning efforts at public institutions of higher education are identified, based on information derived from literature and a status survey. The components necessary for the most effective operation of an ideal centralized comprehensive planning unit are identified based on the Delphi study of selected experts. (JMD)

If principals are to reestablish a dominant role in education they will have to recognize the need for collective action. (Editor)

To understand state-local ties involved in state education politics, policy effects and linking mechanisms in the reform-minded Public School Approval mandate in Vermont were studied using semistructured interviews. Results showed minimal involvement from board members, superintendents, principals, and teachers regarding policy formation. All…

Discusses the issue of centralization or decentralization of academic library collections, and describes a statistical analysis of book circulation at the University of Southwestern Louisiana that yielded subject area clusters as a compromise solution to the problem. Applications of the cluster model for all types of library catalogs are…

Describes and evaluates the library processing center of the Ithaca City School District, which centralizes the ordering, cataloging, and physical preparation of materials for the 11 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 high school, and 1 alternative community school in the district. (CLB)

States should take an active and direct role in education reform: supporting school reform efforts, providing technical assistance, defining and controlling educational content, and assessing the outcomes of education. (MLF)

The autonomy of local education authorities and teachers in England and Wales is being carefully and inexorably restricted. There is a move toward centralization of education. A new system of assessment is also being introduced. (RM)

British Columbia's College Councils were one province's solution to the need to impose central direction without sacrificing sensitivity to outlying parts. Their creation, particular structure, and demise are described. (Author/MLW)

Though some individual institutions may face financial difficulties, the problems associated with lower growth rates are likely to be organizational and educational rather than economic. The tendency towards more centralization has dangers for the diversity that ensures the flexibility needed to cope with an uncertain future. (Editor/LBH)

Suggests that the development of models and of claims about their generalizability in the absence of information about how evaluation occurs does little to advance the field of curriculum evaluation. Includes a description of the evaluation activities in the Israeli Curriculum Center. A bibliography is included. (Editor)

Suggests that a rigorous comparison of expressed goals (both written and verbal) of black organizations with existing organizational designs indicates that the overall organizational structure is not only ineffective for the achievement of the expressed goals, but the overall structure is dysfunctional as well. (Author/JM)

Argues that the urban educational system best serves its varied clientele and performs its diverse functions if there is substantial power, wisely administered, at both the local school level and at a central place in the school system. (JF)

The rising cost of higher education is seen as a new public policy issue. Cost-containment strategies in the health care sector are cited as policy precedents and the likelihood of their adoption for higher education is assessed. (Author/MLW)