James Ryan, a prominent and learned law professor at the University of Virginia (and a former colleague of the author), has produced a scholarly, well-written, and exhaustively researched book on education policy, "Five Miles Away, A World Apart" (Oxford). This article presents the author's critique on Ryan's book. The author argues that…

The United States has provided generations of its residents with the prospect of advancing themselves through education and hard work, and U.S. leaders have the opportunity to make sure this continues for generations to come. To do so, they must handle the national deficit in a decisive, thoughtful manner, ensuring a prosperous future for the…

Most societies, rich and poor, seek to measure progress in reducing poverty and need, as indicated by material deprivation or social exclusion. The yardsticks used to assess progress and policy impact mainly include income-based poverty, but broader measures of poverty based on consumption, wealth, and material deprivation are also now coming into…

Profiles the disabled population and raises questions concerning discrepancies in education, income, and treatment of disabled and nondisabled populations. Shows how social-psychological theories explain these circumstances; concludes that answers to questions are obtainable through psychological research that views disabilities from a civil…

Reviews factors such as income, employment, housing, and transportation which tend to keep women and female-headed families concentrated in cities. Proposes that cities are ideal places for future experimentation in lifestyles not based on traditional sex roles. (GC)

The stereotype of rural Hispanic Americans often connotes social problems such as poverty, illegal immigration, and migrant workers. In reality, rural Hispanics are part of a larger demographic trend changing the balance of power and socioeconomic relations among ethnic groups. Part 1 of this paper reviews demographic information.…

Areas of behavioral and social science research that have achieved significant breakthroughs in knowledge or application or that show future promise of achieving such breakthroughs are discussed in 12 papers. For example, the paper on formal demography shows how mathematical or statistical techniques can be used to explain and predict change in…

The link between rapid population growth and the absolute poverty which currently afflicts 780 million people in developing countries (excluding China and other centrally planned economies) is examined. As a result of rapid population growth, many countries suffer slow per capita income growth, a lack of progress in reducing income inequality, and…

Substantial changes in the current and future demographics of American society are examined, and implications for higher education are discussed, focusing on the economic benefits of higher education to different population groups and mixed results in the progress of minorities in educational attainment. (MSE)

A dramatic increase in the pool of college-age students in the next 20 years is inevitable, but this will not necessarily lead to dramatic increases in higher education enrollment. Enrollment forecasters must ask how economic growth, tuition increases, or an increase in standardized test requirements will affect demand and be clear about…

This report presents the results of a study of higher education in California, focusing on the impending fiscal crisis of increasing demand, tuition, and costs. The study found that at a time when the educational needs for productive employment are increasing, college costs and demand are rising faster than funding. Until now, institutions have…

This volume is the second in a set of two published as the 2008 Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education. Planning for the volumes began more than five years ago, when the Society's Board of Directors expressed an interest in taking steps to encourage a more expansive, penetrating dialogue about education in democratic…

Claiming that current federal educational funding formulas favor those same Sunbelt states that have recently undergone impressive economic growth, some individuals are calling for removal of per capita income factors from funding formulas in order to direct funds away from the Sunbelt and towards the northern or "Frostbelt" states.…

This report presents the results of a 2-year study of the fiscal condition of higher education in the United States. The study found that at a time when the level of education needed for productive employment is increasing, college costs and demand are rising much faster than funding. Unless sweeping changes are made to control costs, millions of…

This report provides trustees, higher education administrators, and state policymakers in the Western states with data on the many factors affecting student costs, from the changing demographics of the region to trends in state appropriations and state funding for financial aid. It discusses how policies in the Western Interstate Commission for…