Explores the extent to which public policy commitments toward community participation are realized in Malawi. Finds that the main motivation for participation is extractive rather than genuine attempts to encourage local ownership and accountability. Argues that marketization of community participation signifies the entrenchment of individual…

Finds progress in the area of curriculum (increasing graduation requirements) since publication of "A Nation at Risk," but argues that some educational interest groups, especially teacher unions, have succeeded in blocking certain "Risk" recommendations requiring real changes, such as extending the school year, while supporting…

Explores the background and context of the Australian federal government's new postcompulsory education and training policies. Examines the social, economic, and political context surrounding policy development and the "stitching together" of competing interests. The resulting policy directions, linking goals to equity issues, represent…

An unnatural, selective school crisis envelopes the poor, the cities, and Latino and African American communities. Structures of privilege and oppression apparent in the larger society are mirrored in schools. The perspectives of principal Deborah Meier, novelist Toni Morrison, and poet Adrienne Rich lend credence to empowerment and…

"Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools" describes the contrasts between rich and poor schools located within a few miles of each other. The author, Jonathan Kozol, claims that contrasts are due to inequitable funding; he would abolish the property tax and replace it with equitable funding for every child deriving from a…

New Standards Project is consortium of 17 states and 6 leading school districts working with cluster of specialists to design and implement system of performance standards, authentic assessments, and professional development aimed at improving educational equity and excellence. New matrix examinations and portfolios will yield results that can be…

After visiting 30 inner-city schools in New York City, Chicago, San Antonio, Ohio, and New Jersey, the acclaimed author of "Death at an Early Age" concludes that public schools remain more separate and unequal than they were 27 years ago. Instead of embracing vouchers for school choice, we should support and fund genuine equality for all…

After a funding-equity victory, there is no guarantee that districts will adopt effective programs to improve student achievement. Programs with the greatest payoff for disadvantaged students include early-childhood programs, one-on-one tutoring, Success for All, James Comer's School Development Program, and extensive staff development. (38…

Examines development of the equalization idea in American public education, discusses theorists' applications of equalization to school finance, reviews the literature on school-finance reform-litigation effects, and concludes that U.S. history has not strongly supported equalization of educational opportunities. Education is not a fundamental…

Tests should be used by educators to help students of different backgrounds and abilities achieve their full potential. The goals of guaranteeing excellence via promotion of high academic standards and ensuring equal educational opportunities are inseparable, mutually dependent goals. State reform efforts and fairness issues are examined. (MLH)

Per-pupil property valuation extremes among Colorado school districts are as varied as the landscape. A foundation plan levels funding disparities for school operations, but financing of major capital outlay projects still depends on local property taxation. Funds are needed to finance classroom technologies and Internet connections. (MLH)

Private schools receive differential treatment in Canada because of the dominant viewpoint that parents sending their children to private schools do not deserve government assistance. Examination of entitlement to human rights can contribute to developing a more sympathetic view of the funding of private schools. (Author/JAZ)

Because many school funding studies are seriously flawed, valid conclusions cannot be reached concerning the effects of school funding in the United States. New evidence from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and two international achievement tests shows that differences among U.S. public school districts (and states) in funding and…

The Association for Women in Science (AWIS), in conjunction with the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education (NCWGE), published a report card on how women have fared over the past 25 years since the passage of Title IX. The report card gave mathematics and science a C+. Recommends ways of encouraging active participation of women in…

Explores equity issues related to the funding of urban schools. Data suggest that poverty level is more closely tied to spending differences than minority status. Federal and state funding formulas have brought per-student spending in most schools close to the national average, although high-income areas continue to enjoy higher per-pupil…