In an analysis of school reform in Great Britain, this book shows how the landmark Education Reform Act of 1988 (ERA) imposed a radically new framework on British education. This framework is built on the same types of reforms that American activists have been proposing for years: school-based management (SBM), choice, and accountability.…

Educational clinics, as defined by Washington State law, are private organizations that teach basic academic skills and provide employment orientation in an individualized way to high school dropouts aged 13 to 19. The Educational Clinics Program was authorized by the state legislature in 1977, after extensive lobbying by members of a private firm…

Summarizes recent judicial and legislative action regarding school choice programs and explains the connection between school choice and the increased discussion of federal education tax credit initiatives. A tax credit would allow beneficiaries to apply the credit amount toward yearly federal tax liability and, if the credit is refundable,…

This article presents comments from advocates of education for deaf students concerning President Bush's summit with state governors to discuss the future of education. Excerpts from the conference statement are included. Topics covered include the role of special education, emphasis on quality, mainstreaming, the federal-state partnership, and…

Explains "educational choice," a funding policy giving parents the option to select their child's educational environment without financial penalty, and its importance to the American educational system. Suggests activities for supporters of educational choice, including raising awareness, dispelling misinformation, encouraging others to act, and…

Defines educational voucher programs and summarizes arguments in their favor. Discusses the strength of the voucher movement, the ideology and attitudes behind it, and the current extent of voucher programs in the United States. Reviews research on publicly funded voucher programs, focusing on the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and the…

After a surge of Catholic immigrants, James Blaine, Speaker of the House in the 1800s, proposed an amendment prohibiting public aid to religious schools. Though Congress rejected the idea, many states put the proposal in their constitutions, where it remains. Much ongoing controversy over school choice began with Blaine. This paper recommends…

Service learning holds tremendous potential for expanding and enriching children's education. However, community polarization can result when such programs are implemented in schools that are not freely chosen by families of children attending them. Parents must be allowed to choose schools reflecting their priorities and beliefs. (MLH)

Ways in which the shape of New Zealand's educational system crucially affected the implementation process of market oriented educational reforms are examined in this paper. The first part discusses educational reform in New Zealand as political management. The Labour government's program from 1987 to 1990 was designed to reduce the size and scope…

This report provides a summary of the process parents must go through to participate in each of the nation's school choice programs, identifying problem areas in some programs. For the first time in one place, this report collects data on participation in each of the programs in current and previous years. Data are given for the number of students…

A key public policy question regarding educational vouchers is: Who has the right to spend the huge sums of money involved--those who provide public education, or the students who "consume" it? Describes the Milwaukee and the Cleveland programs, the legal challenges in which they are involved, and the supporters and opponents of voucher plans. A…

An Economic Institute study concludes that real per-pupil spending between 1967 and 1991 increased by 61%. Regular education's share declined from 80% to 59%. The biggest "squeaky wheel" is special education, followed by bilingual education, alternative instruction, dropout prevention, school lunch, and higher education Pell grants. The…

While provincial governments in Canada are increasingly regulating public schools in the name of accountability, more parents are choosing unregulated tutoring businesses or "new sector" private schools. Reasons include a competitive edge, an emphasis on cognitive development, a more personalized environment due to small teacher-student…

Cross-national educational policy "borrowing" seldom has much to do with successful implementation of particular policies in their countries of origin; rather, it has to do with legitimating other related policies. Discusses similarities and differences between the United States and Great Britain with regard to school choice policies and…

Contends that the Bush Administration's "America 2000" plan is a political and ideological statement that substitutes the logic of the market for the principles of democracy and ignores the need for multiculturalism in the schools. Provides some general recommendations for educational reform. (30 endnotes) (MLF)