In order to increase the knowledge base on the public policy issues pertaining to family homelessness, Columbia University and the Institute for Children & Poverty designed and implemented an extensive survey on the demographics of homeless families. Data on more than 140 variables were collected from 743 homeless heads-of-households in the spring…

This research digest reports that the field of educational policy is faced with an interrelated set of challenges for the future: producing high quality work while ensuring that paradigmatic ideas are useful for operational purposes. Scholarship in educational policy faces two kinds of institutional problems. The first is the retrenchment in the…

This manual was developed to help educators, especially in further education colleges in Britain, to develop a whole-college approach to managing disruptive behavior in students and to serve as a resource for disciplinary policy and staff development. The manual is organized in eight chapters. The first chapter explores the background to the…

Based on a need in Hawaii for a multilevel responsibility and commitment to ensure adolescent wellness, the Hawaii Adolescent Wellness Team developed a plan based on research and discussions with a variety of professionals and community leaders in health, education, and social service. This resource handbook is designed to assist communities in…

These proceedings include five papers presented at a symposium on issues related to the increasing amounts of student borrowing and resulting student debt. Also included is a synopsis of a roundtable discussion addressing core questions framed by the symposium, as well as several public policy options for addressing student loan debt burden. The…

This report, first in a series of eight, is based on findings from a survey of the opinions of Californians, parents and nonparents, about everyday concerns of children, youth, and their families. It highlights the opinions of California parents about children's health insurance coverage. This information is particularly relevant as California…

This report, fourth in a series of eight, highlights the views of Californians about policies local communities and the state can establish to reduce the potential for alcohol problems among young people. In the California Center for Health Improvement (CCHI) "Children and Youth Survey," 51% of the adults surveyed said that they were…

This report, seventh of eight in a series, discusses the views of California parents about the significance of a child's early years, their preparation for parenting, and how well their communities meet their child care needs. The California Center for Health Improvement's (CCHI) Children and Youth Survey asked California parents several questions…

Issues pertinent to the coordination of educational policies with those in other fields for innovative policy formation are presented in this synthesis. The first section details objectives of the interdisciplinary approach, of which the development of common frameworks and methodological tools that are adaptable to specific countries or regions…

Issues relevant to the formation and implementation of clearly defined and enforceable discipline policies to maintain a secure school environment are discussed in this paper. One area of tension exists between the development of stricter discipline policies for student standards of conduct and students' constitutional rights. Conclusions are that…

School restructuring requires the critical assessment of all aspects of the educational system, including the goals of schooling; organization and management at the local, district, and state levels, curriculum; instruction; roles and responsibilities of educational personnel, students, and parents; school finance; and education regulation and…

Two key periods in the history of Australian child care policies are examined and speculative comparisons with British policies are made. During World War II, perceptions of the need for organized child care in Australia were tied almost exclusively to the war-related need for women's labor. During 1942, the question of child care for children of…

Drawing on the experiences in a wide range of countries, this book highlights the advantages and problems of multiple-shift educational systems. Practical suggestions are offered for more effective operation of schools caught in the conflict between extending access and minimizing unit costs and maintaining educational quality. Following an…

American copyright law provides a means of stimulating intellectual development and protecting the ownership interests of the authors of copyrighted works. Over the years, U.S. copyright law has evolved in order to respond to societal and technological changes. Under the copyright statute certain uses of a copyrighted work are permitted under the…

Legislation has largely treated planning and evaluation in vocational education separately. There has been a history of increasing requirements in planning and evaluation and of diffusing responsibility. In addition, existing policy regarding vocational education's dominant mission shows a general lack of clarity. Such factors inhibit the linking…