The history of comparative higher education for purposes of policy analysis is chronicled from its origins in comparative political science and public administration. Methodology is discussed, and some recent studies are examined. It is concluded that comparative higher education has not gone far beyond the descriptive stage, and must take…

This article examines major issues in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act noting key features of the last (1992) reauthorization and current issues such as the rising cost of college, college outcomes assessment, eligibility of students in remedial courses for federal student financial aid, accreditation, and the future of the student…

The No Child Left Behind Act reflects a decision by Congress that federal money not be squandered searching for local solutions, but that scientifically based research be utilized to ensure that every student meets academic standards. The school improvement process requires that local stakeholders cooperatively plan an improvement process, and…

Describes a study of the location of decision-making authority in state community colleges at the college or governance board level. Examines differences in authority for academic, personnel, and administrative matters. Suggests that decision-making authority generally rested at the local level, although personnel decisions were more likely to be…

Analyzes public interest in early childhood care and education (ECCE) policy. Chronicles federal policy in this area from the mid-1960s to the present, with particular attention to changes in the amount of funding and its allocation. Argues that ECCE policy is inadequately funded, fragmented, and internally inconsistent, and provides alternative…

Highlights a comparison of a 30-year legacy of urban policy making with 25 years of policy making on environmental problems to demonstrate how weak policy development has been in dealing with the urban crisis. Several principles designed to guide future urban policies are discussed. (GR)

During the 18 years of the last Conservative government, a stratified British higher education yielded to dramatic expansion, increased participation, and elimination of the "binary line." The economic imperative offers only a partial explanation for Conservatives' rapid and astonishing changes of policy. Contains 54 references. (MLH)

Discusses universal service policies in the European Union. Topics include information access; the demise of the public service model; the effects of competition on universal service; financing; national implementation of member states; programs for schools and libraries; and pertinent Web sites on European universal service policy. (LRW)

Examines the evolution of maternal employment and child care provision policies in the United States, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The analysis shows that child care policy is best viewed as one element among many. Tax codes, labor laws, parental leave policies, and cash assistance programs combine with child care policies to shape women's choices…

Modernising the teaching profession has become one of the main goals of contemporary educational system reform. The evaluation of teachers has been integral to the new teacher quality policies and programs. This article provides a comparative and critical analysis of the evaluations that teachers now confront during their professional careers.…

We argue that attempts to superimpose park regulatory regimes on existing land uses in the tropics represent conflicts between alternative cultural models of natural resource management. The results of such conflicts are unique regulatory regimes emerging from distinctive processes that redefine the terms and limits of natural resource use. In…

An overview is provided of (a) deaf education in China, (b) views of deaf Chinese, and (c) recent empowering international collaborations. China's national policy focuses on oral/aural education and hearing rehabilitation. However, everyday practice in schools for deaf children includes various forms of Chinese Sign Language. Early childhood…

The aim of this paper is to critique the dichotomy between the legal regulation of disability discrimination in Australia, particularly in the State of New South Wales, and inclusion policy as espoused by public education authorities. It is argued that the law and inclusion policy are aiming at different outcomes. As a result, through legal…

Using a new methodological tool, the authors analyzed a large number of texts on information and communication technology (ICT) and education, and identified three clusters of views that guide educationists "in the field" and in more academic contexts. The clusters reflect different fundamental assumptions on ICT and education. The authors argue…

This article explores the impact of market metaphors and mechanisms on higher education in Kyrgyzstan. Drawing upon recent anthropological literature on the local meanings of market reforms in post-socialist contexts, as well as work in the field of educational policy that has focused attention on the "local spaces" in which curricular…