The U.S. political process has been used to define an "adequate" education, in terms of resources, procedures, content, or outcomes. The marketplace also allows individuals to define adequacy through various voucher arrangements. Both mechanisms should be used, based on whether public or private interests are paramount in a particular…

Because their resources are inadequate, philanthropic foundations cannot bring about educational reform by themselves. Foundations are best when serving as midwives, parking garages, conversations pits, burning glasses (to focus thought), levers, and lighthouse tenders. The American people are responsible for acting voluntarily to support public…

In April 1988, Congress passed, and President Reagan signed, the Hawkins Stafford School Improvement Amendments, restoring the federal government's position as a true helper in educational reform. Besides raising spending ceilings for various educational programs and authorizing numerous initiatives, the law substantially enlarges Chapter 1…

The May 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision came in the midst of a national preoccupation with taking care of very young baby boomers. There was a focus on the cheapest way to staff classrooms; build schools; get textbooks and other resources to students and teachers. The desegregation of schools proceeded with about the same level of…

The National Governors' Association Task Force on Technology decided that schools have not generally become more productive through use of technology. Key recommendations center on encouraging educational technology demonstrations in schools, sponsoring research and development, supporting the creation of marketing mechanisms, and encouraging…

This article briefly discusses the reasons for national leaders' recent interest in education and makes recommendations for sustaining the renewed concern, sorting out priorities, and dealing with major unattended issues, especially financing proposed reforms. Suggestions are made for appropriate action by the federal government, states, and…

Most district officials interviewed expressed satisfaction with the simplified application procedures and increased district discretion offered by the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. Perceived negative aspects included the amount of funding and possibility of a decrease, the potential neglect of research, the loss of federal…

Analysis of formula allocations plus discretionary grants of Chapter 2 funds to the 28 largest school districts reveals decreases in funding in 16 districts formerly receiving the greatest Emergency School Aid Act allocations. These districts generally experienced smaller cuts under the block grants than during the year before consolidation. (MJL)

Attempts to analyze what happened to the high hopes for ESEA Title III and how its original direction can be modified to achieve its original goal of promoting beneficial change in American education while lessening the time between development of new teaching practices and their adoption in the classroom. Considers the specific impact of ESEA…

An inside look at the strengths and weaknesses of the two-tier plan which serves as Toronto's metropolitan governance model. (Author)

Examines the findings of the reanalyses and argues that spending more money on schools is not futile. Also indicates where additional or redistributed resources for schools should be spent. (JF)

An appraisal of performance contracting in an upper income school district. (JF)

Personal interview with Walter Heller, Professor of economics at the University of Minnesota.

Students' poor international standing, declining test scores, teacher shortages, and inadequate salaries are factors directly related to economic survival of the United States by threatening to create a nation of technological illiterates. Government must encourage total school effectiveness. (PB)