Believes educational research needs to move much closer to where national policy decisions are being made. (Editor)

Board members in smaller districts need to overcome their fear, distrust, and indifference toward written board policies long enough to adopt policies in certain crucial areas. (Author/IRT)

A trustee of long experience outlines 13 principles for trustee participation, concerning the trustee's role, relationships with others in leadership positions, and expectations. (MSE)

Presentation of a scenario in which a city council imposes fees for public library services without consulting the library director or trustees is followed by three analyses of the situation, and ways in which it should be handled by the library director are suggested. (CLB)

Describes a course dealing with issues of institutional policy analysis which is the study of government reform and its consequences. Explains that the course is organized around three sets of choices: value choices, methodological choices, and institutional choices in which students question their own decision-making processes. (BSR)

The article argues for a national family policy to assist poor families and provide parenting classes for all students in the late elementary and junior high school. These two efforts would do much to prevent needlessly impaired and handicapped children. (Author/DB)

Compared rural husbands and wives with urban husbands and wives over range of variables considered fundamental to marriage and family to explore differences by county of residence and by sex. Found that rural spouses were less well educated and more gender role traditional than were urban spouses. (Author/NB)

The paper presents the concept of policy analysis, as distinct from policy advocacy, in light of recent proposals to restructure present special and regular education practice with mildly handicapped students. A comprehensive policy analysis to clarify the objectives of the Regular Education Initiative is recommended to assess its impact.…

Examines ethical issues in making policy decisions regarding divorce child custody disputes. Suggests dilemma occurs when legislator must decide between discretionary standard promoting best interest of child and nondiscretionary arbitrary assignment of custody. Advocates normative analysis of various types of dispute-settling processes and…

Offers views on three issues important to campus alcohol policy: (1) teaching responsible drinking; (2) operating campus pubs; and (3) raising the legal drinking age. Asserts that carefully considered decisions are needed to help establish normative behavior. (Author/NB)

The response by a group of special educators to the Regular Education Initiative of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services examines nine assumptions on which the initiative is based and makes recommendations concerning experimentation, replication, implementation, and necessary changes in school organization (such as heavy…

Discusses a reasoned response by child care centers to the AIDS virus problem. Considers means of transmission and hygienic practice. Concludes that there is either an extremely low risk or no risk of transmission by children infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to other children in a day care setting. (NH)

Explains that the fundamental issue in recent Canadian politics has been the debate over the free trade negotiations between the United States and Canada. Specifically, the issue of cultural sovereignty makes some Canadians wonder if their power would be limited when setting and implementing policy if the treaty is adopted. (BSR)

Describes an opinion survey distributed to software publishers and software preview centers in which participants ranked suggested criteria for identifying or certifying preview centers, development of center policies and procedures, and the role of schools in the process. A revised survey is included to which readers are encouraged to respond.…