This case study of the Early Childhood Education Program (California) focuses on the political meaning of evaluation. It shows how analysis of evaluation politics reveals who controls education policy, which values are prevailing and dominant, and which definitions of policy goals constitute the assumptive world. (RDN)

The implications of applying state sunshine laws to state colleges and universities are examined. Considerations of political pressure, loss of privacy for individuals, difficulty in obtaining candid evaluations, and the threat of competition are cited. (MSE)

Reports on an Australian-American research project designed to contribute to the understanding of comparative public policy--particularly in relation to the education policy domain. Notes research team was comprised of 1 American and 15 Australians. Shows findings of one American and eight Australian studies that reveal clear dissimilarities and…

The increasing dependency of community colleges on state funding has led to a parallel increase in state intrusion into institutional decision making. If trustees are to head off this intrusion, they must carefully develop sound institutional goals and priorities and must become active lobbyists on their behalf. (DC)

This study looks at how testing affects critical decisions for U.S. students, focusing on the impact of testing on individual students. It examines common misuses of tests, their political and social contexts, what happens when test issues are taken to court, special student populations, social promotion, and other issues of current interest. The…

In simulated decision-making situations in a community mental health center, three types of information were studied and rated: political; cost-benefit, and statistical. Only cost-benefit information was rated as significantly influencing administrators' decisions. (MH)

Educational researchers must rely on their informed judgments and assume responsibility in setting minimum competency standards to meet the public demand for quality education. There are both advantages and disadvantages of implementing, as well as not implementing, a minimum competency program. (MH)

The evolution of congressional support for educational programs and the impact of the present trend toward financial restraint are reviewed. Research, evaluation, and policy studies will help influence future decisions, although other factors such as the economy and interest group pressures will affect support. (MH)

Examines the organizational and political context of decisions directly related to the fate of the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) from 1980 to 1992. This decision-making environment is then analyzed in terms of political values, structures, and strategies. (Contains 59 references.) (Author/KRN)

This workshop began with a questionnaire that asked participants: how often in a normal week their students use a textbook; their thoughts on the average percentage of use of the textbook in North American classrooms; what a student would be likely to reply if asked whether a particular statement in the textbook was true; how a text is chosen for…

The booklet is part of a grade 10-12 social studies series produced for bilingual education. The series consists of six major thematic modules, with four to five booklets in each. The interdisciplinary modules are based on major ideas and are designed to help students understand some major human problems and make sound, responsive decisions to…

The inherent political conflict between the professional decision-maker and citizen participation in those decisions is explored in the perceptions of city managers, planning directors, and school superintendents responding to a national mail poll. From the sample of 750 administrators, there were 406 (54 percent) returns, distributed almost…

The present study focused on possible linkages between (1) the global characteristics of Kansas with individual characteristics, voting behavior, and attitudes of the Kansas state senators; (2) the personal and attitudinal characteristics of senators with various educational policy outcomes; and (3) the structural features of the senatorial…

This paper applies the Eulau and Karps framework for explaining the responsiveness of legislative bodies to public school boards. Eulau and Karps argue that responsiveness deals with a complex, multidimensional set of transactional relationships that can be analytically divided into four components. A high level of responsiveness in one component…

This research report describes an analysis of the ways state legislative policy makers in Arizona, California, and Oregon engage in the process of turning political interests and pressures into public policies. The purpose is to provide insights into the overall processes of social science utilization within state legislatures, using a behavioral…