Philadelphia's school reform initiative, Children Achieving" was evaluated. The focus in this report is on decentralization, exploring how Children Achieving is strengthening schools' capacity to make and carry out informed decisions that lead to schoolwide standards, how the new structures are working at various levels of the system, and how…

This report by the New York State Comptroller states that the state is currently making decisions regarding higher education based on short-term fiscal and political concerns rather than basing such decisions on long-range strategic plans founded on carefully deliberated policies. Specifically, New York has been without a comprehensive review of…

This report contains a study done at the request of the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, which studies public policy issues affecting the state of Wisconsin. Environmental education texts for Grades 6 through 10 were examined for scientific and economic accuracy, objectivity, and balance in accomplishing the following: 1) stating facts that…

This book aims to set forth the convergence of institutional and sociological circumstances with intellectual and personal aspirations at the University of Chicago in the 1930s and 1940s under the direction of its fifth president, Robert Maynard Hutchins. Based in part on the author's personal experiences as a student and young faculty member…

Rather than describing shortcomings of educational planning or proposing new techniques, this paper draws on a 25th anniversary International Institute for Educational Planning seminar to show why planning is more dispensable than ever. Planning units should be strengthened and enabled to collect and analyze data, help detect major trends and…

This report presents a synoptic view of the research on the subject of new information technologies that has been supported by Unesco and of research conducted outside Unesco's program. The report attempts to single out the main findings of this body of research and to identify new avenues of investigation and action that may be able to contribute…

Three theoretical perspectives guide this discussion of teacher development: symbolic interactionism, critical social theory, and theories of postmodernity. Drawing on these perspectives, key dimensions of teacher development can be addressed. Good teaching involves competence in technical skills, but it also involves moral purpose; emotional…

With its increasing economic importance throughout the world, Japan has the potential to expand its political influence as well. Generally, however, Japan has been reluctant to use its growing power to influence political affairs both in Asia and in the rest of the world. This digest surveys the factors affecting Japan's role in world affairs, and…

By keeping his campaign promises, President Lyndon Johnson transformed the U.S. educational system for the next 30 years. His legislative achievements in education were consistent with his campaign promises and with policy statements stretching back into his career as U.S. Senate Majority Leader. Johnson was a major contributor to the passage of…

The China and the Media section of the proceedings contains the following seven papers: "Impact of U.S. Culture on Political Attitude of Students from People's Republic of China" (Xinshu Zhao and Yu Xie); "Facsimile in Revolution and Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War'" (Kurt Kent and Xuejun Yu); "Newspaper Photography in…

Interest in school choice has reached an unprecedented level in the United States. This paper discusses the origins, political context, and controversy surrounding the 1985 Minnesota Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act (PEO), the first state-level school choice initiative and a major catalyst for other states and districts. The first section…

This study investigated the possible relationship between level of service to students with behavioral disorders and: restrictiveness of State Department of Education positions on interpretation of the definition of serious emotional disturbance, of the social maladjustment exclusion in that definition, and a state's degree of republicanism. The…

This paper discusses economic, social, and political trends and values/beliefs that will affect the quality of life of persons with developmental disabilities and their families to the year 2000. The paper describes four plausible future scenarios: "America Revitalized"; "Post-Industrial Reformation"; "The Stressed Society"; and "The…

Federal involvement in higher education during 1950-1983 is reviewed. Policies and programs that have governed federal support of academic science and higher education are considered, particularly support for basic scientific research. The Soviet's success with Sputnik promoted change from modest funding for defense-related research at selected…

Factors that influence college admissions and articulation are considered, based on testimony of the admissions director of Prairie View A&M University, Texas. The following concerns are addressed: the rationale behind college admissions at a small, rural four-year college serving a predominantly black student population; societal, political,…