Three of four related papers presented at this symposium are included in this collection together with a brief descriptive introduction. These papers presented viewpoints about the social, political, and economic issues surrounding the use of computers in schools; each of the five presenters addressed a particular aspect of a critical social…

It has been difficult to define the work of curriculum directors for a variety of reasons related to educational structures and policies. Through the use of qualitative methodology, this study provides an in-depth analysis of the work of four exemplary curriculum directors in an effort to define their duties and responsibilities, identify the…

The topic of this paper is the "new sociology of education" (NSOE) and its origins in the early 1970's. One aim of this paper is to argue that the regressive return to a rigid and ahistorical academic curriculum is not the only alternative. A second theme is the suggestion that the NSOE took a highly unreflective view of the role of…

The relationship between the external environment and state appropriations to public higher education is analyzed, focusing on the following: (1) the extent to which environmental factors explain yearly appropriations outcomes for public four-year colleges and universities; (2) which environmental factors are most important and which are least…

Civil rights and academic freedom at the University of Oklahoma from 1890-1968 are examined by George Lynn Cross, president of Oklahoma University in the critical period from 1943 to 1968. The struggle for human rights is examined from the perspectives of teachers, students, administrators, and the community. Chapters include: "The Pioneer…

Decision-making and the models of decision-making that people carry in their minds were assessed. Participants in a public policy decision involving early childhood education were mapped onto four frequently used models of decision making: the rational, the bureaucratic, organizational process (Allison, 1971) and the garbage can or organized…

These papers examine sociological and political problems associated with school desegregation on the local level in Dallas, Boston, Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Each presentation addresses several of the following concerns: (1) community and school composition, racial and ethnic ratios, and business and political…

This study examines the ways in which parents and other community members, especially urban minorities and the poor, participate in decisions that bear on the education of their children. Information concerning the role and effectiveness of community organizations in Atlanta, Boston, and Los Angeles over a 15 month period is summarized. The…

This study examines the relative impact of classroom and nonclassroom sources of political information on the political awareness of students in grades 4, 5, and 6. To this end, (1) the sociopolitical content of a classroom source of political information, the "Weekly Reader," is analyzed and compared to the content of evening network news; (2)…

The model attempts to map all relevant factors onto a single integrated structure and to suggest some of the interaction lines. Based on a hexagonal figure, each side represents a set of factors which may have a bearing on, or be affected by, the bilingual program's operation in a particular situation--psychological, sociological, economic,…

Mass literacy, largely the product of the nineteenth century European industrial revolution, may be considered in three facets. First, its sociology: human relationships are different when individuals can refer to permanent, written records than when they rely on a person-to-person transferral of information. Literacy also makes possible more…

This bulletin is one in a series of publications already issued or now projected by the Office of Education as part of a major study of the junior high school, its status, problems encountered, and promising practices found among some of the more than 3,000 junior high schools. The general idea for this report came from the thinking and planning…

Analyzes interviews with 44 Mexicans representative of industry, government, and the National Autonomous University of Mexico concerning modernization, industrialization, and technology transfer in the context of higher education. Although all supported an active role for higher education in technology transfer in public statements, they were…

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's classic work "Emile" of 1762 is contrasted with Henry G. Giroux's 1981 book "Ideology Culture and the Process of Schooling." Although both Giroux and Rousseau are social critics, their notions about education and its outcome are contrary and not due to historical time alone. This comparative analysis…

Characteristics of graduates of 42 colleges belonging to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) are considered. A primary objective was to evaluate the success of the colleges in preparing an elite class of individuals dedicated to the survival and advancement of blacks specifically and democracy and justice in a larger sense. After an overview of…