"Quality Counts 2012," the 16th edition of "Education Week"'s annual examination of issues and challenges facing America's public schools, takes aim at topics high on the policy agenda, from the White House and Congress down to the level of local school boards and chambers of commerce: the nation's international standing in…

"Between Public and Private" examines an innovative approach to school district management that has been adopted by a number of urban districts in recent years: a portfolio management model, in which "a central office oversees a portfolio of schools offering diverse organizational and curricular themes, including traditional public…

In "The Transformation of Great American School Districts", William Lowe Boyd, Charles Taylor Kerchner, and Mark Blyth argue that urban education reform can best be understood as a long process of institutional change, rather than as a series of failed projects. They examine the core assumptions that underlay the Progressive Era model of…

Six papers discuss the increasing role of federal Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs) in program evaluation. This issue presents an overview of such inspections, case studies from three federal agencies, and a review of questions and concerns about inspections by OIGs. (SLD)

The four papers presented here were chosen for presentation at the 1993 annual meeting of the State Higher Education Finance Officers. "A Clean Slate: Principles for Moving To a Value-Driven Higher Education Funding Model," by Brenda Norman Albright and Diane Suitt Gilleland, outlines principles for moving from an accounting-driven…

As part of a multi-nation research project on the institutionalization of political economy in European, Japanese, and North American universities, the 14 essays in this volume explore the roots of academic economics in the United States during the 19th century. The organization of the essays is designed to show the catalytic role economists…

This collection of nine articles presents case studies of educational reform and change in 10 nations, focusing on the changing role of government involvement in higher education. The articles are: (1) "University-State Relations in Britain: Paradigm of Autonomy" (Peter Scott); (2) "Changing Conceptions of State-University…

This collection of papers explores federal, state, and local efforts across the United States to ensure that all students have equal and equitable educational opportunities. The book begins with an introduction, "Title I Schoolwide Programs: Examining Evidence from the Field" (Dianne L. Taylor and Elizabeth A. Kemper). Section 1,…

To change American high schools, new collective imagination is needed. In an age where the word "teenager" or "adolescent" often inspires fear or frustration, leaders must overhaul the public's attitude about their high school students. In a time when many teachers believe their efforts cannot overcome poverty and other barriers to learning…

This collection of 17 essays focuses on trends and issues in higher education from an international perspective. It includes: (1) "Introduction" (Zaghloul Morsy); (2) "The Idea of the University: Changing Roles, Current Crisis, and Future Challenges" (Torsten Husen); (3) "Patterns in Higher Education Development: Towards…

In the wake of the Supreme Court's landmark ruling upholding school choice, policymakers across the country are grappling with the challenge of funding and regulating private schools. Towns, cities, and states are experimenting with a variety of policies, including vouchers, tax credits, and charter schools. Meanwhile, public officials and…

This publication contains ten papers designed to show relationships between job creation and vocational education. Information is presented regarding three areas: (1) national and state perspectives of job creation, (2) examples of how specific vocational education disciplines impact in the job creation process, and (3) case studies of job…

This book analyzes the responses of five states (Florida, Mississippi, New York, Washington, and Wisconsin) to challenges posed by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to alter state welfare programs and management systems. Using case studies, the book highlights similarities and differences in the states'…

This book contains 27 papers that were originally developed for a research and policy symposium at which Canadian community economic development (CED) was examined in terms of research and policy requirements. The book contains the following papers: "Community Economic Development Practice in Canada" (Brodhead); "Community Economic…