As rural communities strive to meet the demands of both their citizens and of higher levels of government for increased local services, they must rely more and more on outside assistance. The maze and complexity of federal and state mandates forces officials to seek technical assistance from a network of public and private agencies. The dynamics…

This paper addresses the problems of sex discrimination and sex stereotypes faced by women in education and employment. Several models which are used to explain the current social and cultural status of women are examined and criticized. They include: (1) the biopsychological explanatory model; (2) the psychosocial explanatory model; and (3) the…

Data requirements for a comprehensive assessment of the educational status of women are evaluated. Issues concerning school personnel and women's educational development are considered. Postsecondary and elementary/secondary education are considered separately. Sex role stereotyping of teachers and administrators and numbers and ranking of men and…

Selected panel discussions and papers presented during the 14th annual forum of the Association of Institutional Research present analytical approaches--if not solutions--to imperatives identified in 1973. The articles build upon the six major policy reports on higher education released during the academic year: Carnegie Commission, Committee for…

Studies on both sides of the Atlantic reveal that the processes by which educational policy is made is highly political. In the 1960's education seemed particularly vulnerable to a realignment of forces because it has traditionally had some elements of localism and a degree of separateness as a governmental service based on the nature of its…

The dominant driving force of past movements in West German output and prices is investigated and a review of government policy undertaken to stabilize these movements is presented. Three alternative impulse hypotheses are tested: the monetary, the fiscal, and the foreign impulse hypothesis. The major results of the tests are that: (1) monetary…

This report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child contains observations of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) concerning the application of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child by the nation of Costa Rica. The report's introduction notes that in addition to ratifying the Convention, Costa Rica's…

This paper describes three government-funded technology programs in Portugal and the changes they brought about in Portuguese schools: (1) Project MINERVA (Computing Means in Education: Rationalization, Valorization, Actualization), launched in 1985 and ended in 1994, was an innovative program to introduce new technologies in schools; (2) Program…

Eight contributed papers given at a general session of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions 1992 annual meeting are presented. These papers deal with a variety of library issues, and are generally, but not exclusively, focused on developing countries. The following papers are included: (1) "Community…

Two important sets of performance indicators for institutions of higher education have become established in the United Kingdom: research quality ratings and teaching quality ratings. The research quality ratings and, to a lesser extent, the teaching quality ratings influence the level of government funding provided to higher education…

This paper examines the Botswana government's objectives and implementation strategies in the development of community secondary schools. With a population of 1.5 million and an annual growth rate of 3.5 percent, Botswana is one of the fastest growing countries in the world. Recent dramatic economic growth, largely due to diamond revenues, has not…

This paper considers the implementation of Student Performance Standards (SPS) in Queensland, Australia, and their implications for teacher education. Student testing procedures in various Australian states and territories are described. A theoretical framework, grounded in Australian educational history, is elaborated for understanding the…

Drawing from national studies calling for expanded and improved workforce training to keep the nation competitive in the global economy, this report reviews research on workforce training and argues for a concerted national effort to define and support a coordinated program of workforce training. First, the paper defines workforce training as…

State law requires that all certified professional personnel employed in Georgia school systems have their performance evaluated annually by trained evaluators. The Georgia School Counselor Evaluation Program (GSCEP) was designed to be used across all systems and schools for annual formative and summative evaluation purposes. The process used to…

This paper considers the importance of caring for gifted children and identifies specific challenges facing Canada as the country tries to provide caring gifted education. "Caring" is defined and the importance of modeling caring behaviors so that children learn to care for others is stressed. The paper summarizes legislation and…