Since the state takeover, the Philadelphia school district has created a new governance model, in which for-profits, non-profits, and universities receive contracts to manage schools. Further, these and other organizations also receive contracts to provide a range of additional services. The shift to a public/private institutional structure,…

Critical to the success of initiatives to reform and restructure educational and community services to improve the lives of children is the way in which they are financed. This report explores the movement toward privatization through contracting in managing, financing, and delivering child and family social services and provides a conceptual…

Supporters of school-choice proposals contend that private-school choice continues to gain momentum at the state and local levels. This publication provides an overview of trends in the privatization of school choice, including privately financed voucher programs, contractual arrangements with the private sector, and for-profit private school…

It is likely that most school districts will need to think through the possibilities of privatizing one or more functions. This book was written to help all concerned parties understand the privatization debate. No political or philosophical conclusions about the feasibility of privatization were made. Chapter 1 relates the experience of the…

Although making profits from public education is not new, what is new is the recent development of corporate interest in taking over the organization and management of public education specifically for profit-making purposes. The study reported in this paper focuses on the intrusion of "big business" into an educational arena that…

Both public and not-for-profit private schools contract with private vendors for specialized services. Current advocates of the privatization of public education are looking to extend privatization into the areas of management and instruction. Describes experiences of the Edison Project and Educational Alternatives, Inc. Offers advice to school…

Reviews positive and negative aspects of corporate involvement in public education, using educational research literature since 1990 and focusing on commercialization of public schools and use of private companies to deliver instructional services or to manage schools. Also explored are value conflicts among supporters and critics of such…

Market principles can be applied to careers guidance services through the concept of guidance as a market maker or through the concept of a market in guidance. The notion of a market in guidance can take the form of a real market or of a quasi market. A quasi market can take the form of contracts or of vouchers. These options are explored.…