This analysis of the Boston (Massachusetts) Public School System considers ways of advancing the opportunity for parent choice of school and program, and ways of breaking the bureaucratic culture of big-city American public schools to introduce a culture promoting innovation and experiment. The Boston public schools system, like large urban…

This collection presents a sampling of opinions of both proponents and opponents in the school choice debate from a variety of professional perspectives, including academics, bureaucrats, politicians, union leaders, economists, lawyers, parents, and activists. The following essays are included: (1) "School Choice Promotes Educational…

Difficulties in the formulation and implementation of a uniform national educational policy are analyzed in this book. A review of American educational history concludes that alternative policy processes must be considered if the nation is to develop public policies capable of addressing a national education crisis. Obstacles to a centralized…

This study was commissioned by Alberta Education to examine the development and organization of private schools in Alberta and to consider future directions. It examines the financial issues related to private schools, the effect of private schools on public school systems and on the education of children, and implications for public school…

In 1985 the Supreme Court ruled that funding school districts for purposes of aiding children at the parochial schools they attend is unconstitutional. Now it is virtually impossible for parochial schools to receive aid. In order for Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act to serve all eliglbe children, including those…

The month-long teacher strike in 1987 was the impetus for a wave of reform efforts directed toward the Chicago, Illinois, school system. State legislation of far-reaching reforms, the governor's vetoes, and a subsequent reconvening of the legislature resulted in a restructuring and decentralization of the school system. Many of the reforms are…

This policy paper includes four perspectives on educational quality presented at the 1983 annual meeting of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Gwen Morgan considers the role of government, raising questions about what regulatory agencies should do, can do, and cannot do in the light of public attitudes. Ways that…

Baltimore City's public school system is in crisis. Academically, the school system fails on any number of measures. The city's graduation rate is barely above 50 percent and students continually lag well behind state averages on standardized tests. Adding to these problems is the school system's current fiscal crisis, created by years of fiscal…

This study addresses the fiscal impacts of school choice in New Hampshire. The author uses one example from the 2003 New Hampshire legislative session to illustrate the fiscal impacts of school choice on New Hampshire and its communities. He develops a unique database of individual and household level responses from the 2000 Census of New…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) "Profiles in Leadership": Alliance Releases a Collection of Essays from America's Foremost Education…

"Every Child" is Australia's premier early childhood publication, aimed at anyone involved in the care and education of children from birth to eight years--in particular child care professionals, teachers, child care students and the parents of young children. Published quarterly, it contains informative and entertaining articles on such…

This short paper discusses the advantages of and outlines key design issues for creating charter districts. The design issues are divided into three categories representing the three central elements of the environment the districts are trying to create for their schools: the opportunity to perform, incentives to perform, and capacity to perform.…

This report to Congress covers the actions and accomplishments of the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for the period beginning October 1, 2000, and ending September 30, 2002. The first section, titled "Overview of OCR Compliance and Enforcement Program," looks at the Office's organizational structure, complaint…

Although explicit public-private partnerships are rare in education, there is a close connection between the public and private goals of education. Education inherently serves both public and private interests. Unfortunately, educational policy may find itself in conflict while simultaneously serving both public and private mandates. This article…

Criticizes the school choice proponents' belief that exiting students would result in schools upgrading their services to remain competitive. Contends that school choice programs create less than 1% exit from public schools. Asserts that voucher programs only help the families of students already enrolled in private schools. (MJP)