Considers the Supreme Court Brown and Bakke decisions the results of socioeconomic influences rather than of moral imperative. Discusses social conditions as influences on judicial processes, economic conditions in the United States when the decisions were made, and the effects of the decisions on school desegregation, educational competition, and…

Emphasizes the development of an effective planning capability in the state. Describes the policy challenges posed by enrollment decline, then analyzes the content and process of Minnesota's response, focusing on legislative enactments aimed at improving school district planning. (IRT)

Described are the effects of government intervention in Uruguay's universities, particularly on science teaching and research institutions. Effects include not only dismissal of science teachers and researchers, but also the disappearance of several prominent scientists. The results of these actions include lowered scientific productivity and loss…

In simulated decision-making situations in a community mental health center, three types of information were studied and rated: political; cost-benefit, and statistical. Only cost-benefit information was rated as significantly influencing administrators' decisions. (MH)

Examines Jean Piaget's developmental theories and evaluates how his psychology of constructivism relates to contemporary behavioral sciences, modern education, and modern monopoly capitalism. Concludes that Piaget's constructivism is inconsistent with capitalist ideology and is widely misunderstood by educators. (DB)

Educational researchers must rely on their informed judgments and assume responsibility in setting minimum competency standards to meet the public demand for quality education. There are both advantages and disadvantages of implementing, as well as not implementing, a minimum competency program. (MH)

The evolution of congressional support for educational programs and the impact of the present trend toward financial restraint are reviewed. Research, evaluation, and policy studies will help influence future decisions, although other factors such as the economy and interest group pressures will affect support. (MH)

The political influences on three decisions of importance to University of Maryland faculty are examined. They are the dismissal of Edgar Beall, a physics teacher; the rejection of Marxist Bertell Ollman to head the government and politics department; and the rehiring, under threat of a budget cut, of the governor's sister, an English instructor.…

Presents statistics that document the status of African Americans in higher education. Much recent progress in the Education Equality Index the journal computes comes from gains made in the past several years that are only now reported by the government. Recent political and social developments, such as opposition to affirmative action, may…

Describes the partnership model for the University of North Florida's master's program in education offered in Belize, suggesting that the model holds promise for development of international programs by other institutions. Topics discussed include the university's history of involvement in education in Belize, the Belize context for education,…

This study presents a longitudinal and intertextual analysis of educational policymaking activity in California over a 10-year period to identify factors that supported local policy implementation in a shifting political climate. Analysis reveals the essential nature of coherence, capacity building, and changed practices in building an alternative…

The eight articles of this special issue explore the retrenchment that has seriously constrained the education of African Americans in California, as in much of the nation. Economic downsizing, genetic theories of racial inferiority, and right-wing attitudes have contributed to undermining the political gains of the 1960s and 1970s. (SLD)

Adoption of the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1992 formalized a significant shift in federal financial aid policy from grants to loans. A case study of the federal policy-making process and the effects of incremental and fragmented decision making, this legislation illustrates how shifts in the power of actors and constraints in the…

Broad contextual and cultural influences of reforms on employment and higher education in Lithuania are examined, effects of this transition on higher education administration are considered, and conditions that would encourage administrators to take an entrepreneurial or proactive approach are discussed. A model for training programs to assist…

The Texas legislature is pursuing a bill requiring regular post-tenure performance reviews for college faculty, intended to weed out lazy or incompetent professors. Many faculty express concern about the bureaucratic aspects of such a move, and about its effectiveness. Some observers find currently-required annual reviews for pay raises to be…