The paper examines the relationship among household agriculture, wages and household structure using panel data on urban households from 1994-2003. Experts using cross-sectional data differ on whether Russian "dachas" or garden houses are a survival strategy that households use in times of economic difficulty or a hobby of the more…

"Data Trends" reports present summaries of research on mental health services for children and adolescents and their families. The article summarized in this "Data Trends" discusses national data on transition services available for children served within the state child mental health systems. These data are derived from information provided by…

Many government bodies and policymakers have embraced privatization of child welfare services, while others question whether privatization is truly more cost-effective or provides the best services. This book reports on six states' efforts to privatize their child welfare systems and their varying levels of success. This research documents the…

This paper presents the most notorious decentralization and privatization policies of education delivery included in the 1995-2005 education reform plan and briefly explains some of the factors justifying their existence, potential success, and possible limitations. It also examines the capacity of a privatization strategy, contracting…

This report presents the findings of exploratory research designed to identify the characteristics of the outsourcing of instruction at community colleges and the forces that promote or block its spread. It is the second in a series of reports by the National Center for Postsecondary Improvement and the Community College Research Center on the…

Today, public services are often delivered by purchase-of-service agreements, privatization, franchising, vouchers, or other alternatives to civil service. Public personnel managers must now deal with broader policy issues, relationships with external organizations, and tighter focus on cost control, requiring new knowledge, skills, and abilities.…

Describes how some colleges are opening hotels, while others opt to turn existing lodgings over to professionals in the hospitality business. (EV)

From a social work perspective, reviews the basic premises and values underlying the movement to privatize education through the use of voucher systems. Argues that publicly funded vouchers are not consistent with the aims of quality and equity and may have the unintended consequences of hindering the quest for education reform. (Contains 50…

Discusses respective roles and responsibilities of public and private sectors in corrections field. Describes service contracting and use of private sector for rehabilitation programs carried out in community. Maintains the importance of assuring accountability and assessing the value of services, and the legitimacy of cooperation and…

Since 1987, Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke has made education his top priority. He strongly supports serious, autonomous schools, insists on accountability, and has impeccable education credentials. Recognizing a crisis in public education, Schmoke moved to save the system from further deterioration and opened it to responsible reform via…

David A. Bennett served as an urban public school administrator for 20 years but is now president of Education Alternatives, Inc., a company dedicated to the concept of private management of public schools. Bennett proposes administering schools as public utilities--private management with public regulatory control. (MLF)

Shows the gradual deterioration of the U.S. public education system, beginning with a hypothetical school district's acceptance of Channel One programing with two-minute commercials in 1990 and ending with Educate America's offer to pick up any costs not already borne by private enterprise (in exchange for adopting the group's curriculum) by 2010.…

When contracting with private companies for support services, districts should define goals and requirements; develop requests for proposals; and create a team with legal, financial, user, and task-management expertise. Contracts should be in plain English, avoid open-ended lists, define terms, and specify service provision details. (MLH)

Privatization undermines the role of public education in keeping democracy alive, offering consumerism as the only form of citizenship. Challenging the encroachment of corporatism is essential if democracy is to remain the defining principle of education and society. (SK)

Reviews "outsourcing" of technology services by institutions of higher education, including the College of Notre Dame (California) and East Tennessee State University, and finds that, although external companies, especially COLLEGIS, offer expertise and savings, they sometimes do not understand the special problems of an academic…