The ascendancy of Jimmy Carter may herald a new direction in American education, suggests a former secretary of HEW, who explains what that direction should be. (Editor/LBH)

The National Academy of Education is described as a loose federation of prominent educational and social science researchers, which has never pretended to be a think tank or a lobbying organization. Its influence is indirectly felt through the prestige and quality research of its members. (MLW)

The new Department of Education, the nation's first secretary of education, Shirley Mount Hufstedler, and some of her newly appointed assistant secretaries are profiled. The creation of the new department, the transition problems involved, and the budget for education are discussed. (MLW)

The most important short-term economic issue today is the federal budget deficit, and it will frame the debate about federal education policy. The challenge for the next few years will be to increase investment in human capital while continuing to reduce the federal deficit. (MLW)

The changes in postsecondary education's relationship to government generally and to the federal government specifically are discussed. It is concluded that, as the array of issues, participants, and special interests mounts, the academy is less and less able to speak with a single voice in Washington. (MLW)

The decline in the number of federally related jobs is threatening public policy schools and policy analysis is experiencing a loss of esteem. If this trend continues, the quality of students interested in public policy schools may be diluted. (MLW)

A discussion of public policy and access to higher education in the United States surveys the federal role in higher education since the 1960s through legislation and litigation, focusing on access for poor and/or minority students. Suggestions are made for action by the Clinton administration to address the current challenge. (MSE)

The national politics of American education have clustered around four major issues: the federal effort on behalf of minorities, the poor, and other disadvantaged groups; the national politics of private and religious schools; the quality of schooling as a concern of the federal government; and educational strategies for the government. (MLW)

William Blakey, staff director and chief counsel to the Subcommittee on Employment and Productivity of the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, was interviewed on the issues facing black progress in higher education. Leadership, change, TRIO programs, and public policy are discussed. (MLW)

Four members of a seminar on the federal role in education in the coming administration discuss federal priorities for education, offering hope that a 10-year policy gridlock may be about to break. (Author/MSE)

The federal role in postsecondary education is seen as a complex one, with over 400 separate legislative provisions to influence federal spending for higher education. Virtually every federal agency is said to be involved in some manner. The performance of the Carter administration in higher education is evaluated. (MLW)

The Secretary of Education and the chairman of the Senate committee overseeing educational policy are Utahans. Their leadership and perspectives on current legislative and quality issues are examined: conservatism, the communications revolution and education, the workings of government in policy formation, student financial aid, generosity of…

The lack of satisfaction with the political process as the means of reaching informed public policy judgments about higher education is seen to be manifested in the intermediate agencies created by every state. Important choices remain between the concentration of authority in centralized governance systems and the decentralization of authority.…

The predicted shortage of new scientists and engineers and the actual situation are compared, and the need to make changes in the training and flow of appropriately trained graduates is discussed. The scientific community is urged to reexamine how what it does fits into the complex of current and future social needs. (MSE)