This booklet aims to help concerned citizens change laws and school funding systems to improve equity and adequacy for rural education programs. It will help readers gather the information they need, evaluate its meaning, put it in context, establish networks with others, and work with their legislatures and courts to solve the problems. Chapter 1…

Because the District of Columbia (DC) is a federal district, its governance is peculiar. The DC public school system is plagued by poor management, internal strife, unstable leadership, low student achievement, shrinking enrollment, and declining community confidence. During the 1960s, Mayor Barry and the civil rights-home rule movement brought…

Against the backdrop of the Asian economic crisis, this study examined the range of education programs for migrant workers in six Asian countries. Surveys were returned from 145 migrant worker support organizations in three host countries--Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan--and three sending countries--the Philippines, Indonesia, and India. The…

This document contains the English and Spanish texts of an annual publication which examines political, social, environmental, and educational issues concerning indigenous peoples around the world in 2001-02. Part 1 describes current situations and events in 11 world regions: the Arctic; North America; Mexico and Central America; South America;…

For the first time in the better part of a decade, the idea of making student loans "Income-Contingent" (often referred to as "ICR", which stands for Income-Contingent Repayment) is making a re-appearance on the Canadian policy scene. For those who have long favoured ICRs, this debate will be an opportunity to dust off their…

This annual publication (published separately in English and Spanish) examines political, legal, social, and educational issues concerning indigenous peoples around the world during 1996-97. Part I highlights news events and ongoing situations in specific countries. In North America, these include threats of proposed oil drilling on sacred sites…

This study identified seven categories of influence of local college governing boards, based on how they were established and their members appointed. Information was drawn from questionnaires sent to staffs of statewide coordinating bodies and multicampus governing boards; from statutes, local board policies, bylaws, and handbooks; and from…

For over a decade, Latino immigrants, especially those of Mexican origin, have been at the heart of the immigration debate and have borne the brunt of conservative populism. Contributing factors to the public reaction to immigrants in general and Latinos specifically include the sheer size of recent immigration, the increasing prevalence of…

This book identifies and examines the political dimensions of decentralization. Decentralization programs vary from country to country, but there are common threads and fundamental questions in all situations. The book covers the following themes and topics: (1) a case study of school decentralization in Colombia over a period of more than two…

Australian society in the 1990s has been marked by the gradual disenfranchisement of rural communities due to the urban bias of political and economic decision-makers. In Victoria, curriculum changes based on strategic centralism, consumer capture, and educational accountability were accompanied by a more controlled, urban-biased approach to…

Since the 1980s there have been several attempts in the United States to depart from the single-salary schedule in place since the 1920s and to apply performance-related or merit pay (PRP) to teachers, assessed either at the school level or individually. Meanwhile, in England, a performance-management process is now being implemented that is also…

Test-based accountability systems are now a central feature of U.S. education policy. Accountability systems are implemented as a way of improving student outcomes through new, highly visible incentives. This paper characterizes the incentives of different state accountability systems and reviews the existing evidence about outcomes. The question…

This series of five booklets has been developed to provide Oregon public school district administrators with suggestions for cost containment and increasing productivity. The five sections focus on the following topics: (1) the problem of declining funds for schools and solution strategies; (2) cost-saving tips for district and school-level…

This paper offers the reflections of three past presidents of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) during the year of the American community college's 100th anniversary. President emeritus Edmund J. Gleazer, Jr., describes some of the changes that altered the AACC during the years 1951-1981. In 1951, when Gleazer was hired as…

This paper focuses on the administrative costs of vouchers programs. It considers the tasks that public and private agencies must undertake and estimates the administrative burdens and cash flow that local programs create. It assumes that all voucher programs, including those meant in part to reduce overcrowding, will be voluntary. The paper…