Major public policies for institutional governance in France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom over the past two decades are reviewed, and factors that may account for differences in policy developments in the three countries are considered. In France and (although only recently) in Sweden, politics have aimed at increasing institutional autonomy in…

Terrel Bell, U.S. Secretary of Education during four years of the Reagan Administration, describes the political forces under which he ran the Department of Education. He points out that education passed through two difficult years during Reagan's first term, but that education fared better at the federal level after the release of "A Nation…

This paper addresses issues of concern to trustees of public, single-campus four-year institutions of higher education. Seven critical issues are listed: (1) enrollment trends are changing--although overall enrollment is increasing, the rate of growth is declining and there has been a shift from four-year and graduate institutions to two-year…

This paper continues a long-standing process, expressed in current practices of reauthorizing federal legislation every 5 years, of examining the rationale for federal involvement in occupational (vocational) education. Past discussions of this issue have come to a broad set of conclusions that the federal government should fund what states cannot…

After describing Sweden's economic and political background, the author discusses its industrial democracy--workers' participation in management--and labor legislation, particularly the Act on Employee Participation in Decision-Making effective January 1, 1977. Contrasts beliefs in the unions' possible stranglehold of industry in co-determination…

This volume analyzes government policies for helping students pay for education beyond high school and was developed as a result of an October 1994 gathering of policymakers, analysts, and practitioners convened to review federal student assistance and to consider policy alternatives for the Clinton Administration. Chapter 1, "A Fifty-Year…

This report describes current state monitoring systems in special education, identifies trends across states, and examines critical issues. Data are based on discussions with monitoring personnel, responses to a 1992 survey, input from meetings, and analysis of documents provided by the states. Analysis focuses on five areas: (1) the composition…

Responding to the National Commission on Excellence in Education's report on the status of education in the United States, Secretary of Education, T. H. Bell, addresses six questions: (1) Given that the Commission discussed the federal, state, local, parental, and student roles and responsibilities, who should take the lead in education? (2) How…

In the last two decades, the federal government's role in state and local affairs has shifted markedly from subsidy to regulation. This report examines the origins and effects of the new "regulatory federalism" and proposes reforms. Chapter 1 delineates the subject, chronicling the growth of intergovernmental regulation and discussing…

Federal regulations for the Adult Education Act and the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act were revised in 1985. The following are the major changes to the Adult Education Act regulations: (1) the definition of "adult" was changed to permit services to persons under the age of 16 in some cases; (2) the definition of…

Several examples are offered of situations in which, in order to be in compliance with one law or regulation, the district was in violation of another. Legislation cited which has caused such conflicts includes (l) the Auxiliary Services Act, (2) Title I, and (3) mandates to use the urban mass transit system for transporting children to school.…

The first of a series on personal and family financial planning (PFFP) education, this publication presents five papers examining the need for educational programs that emphasize the use of financial resources in ways that contribute to family stability. C. Raymond Anderson discusses the inability of many individuals to realistically manage…

This paper explores the potential pitfalls associated with the new federal accountability role precipitated by the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act. The paper presents worst-case scenarios with the assumption that it is worthwhile to consider the potential for unanticipated consequences so as to avoid problems before they occur. After…

Traces recent developments in federal/state relations including the shift in federal aid from places to people. Examines the change in federal influence from grants to regulations. Concludes with a discussion of the differences between Congressional and White House attempts to trim the federal budget. (MJP)

The Republican proposal to cut the federal student loan program is examined, and some of the other challenges and changes likely to be faced by higher education due to Republican politics are outlined, including appropriations for discretionary programs, welfare and immigration reform, social and economic policy issues affecting the middle class,…