This brief summarizes information collected during visits to Hennepin County (Minnesota's largest urban county) in 1999 and 2000 to document changes and progress since 1997. It updates a 1997 report that reviewed the benefits and services in the state and described the economic and political context shaping Minnesota's agenda for serving…

Examines how negative views of government and the public sector are affecting educational governance. Reviews social and political trends undermining support for public schools. Presents a new definition of governance that realistically portrays the politics of educational leadership by acknowledging the roles of public and private sectors,…

Considers the impact of information technology, particularly the Web, on distance education in higher education. Topics include the future of public education; criticism of education based on societal anger, political ambition, and the profit motive in the private sector; and the relationship between education and business. (LRW)

Depicts the problems encountered by a Soviet history teacher whose textbooks and materials have not kept pace with the policy of Glasnost and student attitudes. Suggests that textbooks be replaced with original documents, scholarly articles, and memoirs. (SLM)

Critical theory is applied to determine why larger numbers of children are now identified as having special needs; acquiring such labels is found to be the result of complex social, economic, and political considerations. Explanations for educational problems are offered at three levels: personal/interpersonal, environmental/institutional, and…

Analyzes and critiques the sociocultural and educational features that comprise the macrocontext for teaching environmental education in Queensland, Australia. Concepts outlined in the analysis include the global context of teaching environmental education; the political, economic, and social context of Queensland; the national party; the…

In view of the present state of affairs in the field, it is time for reassessment and professional debate about what sexuality education can and should be. There have been significant cultural shifts brought about by recent technological development, global awareness of sexual issues, and the characteristics of the current younger generation.…

This book presents the results of an extended study of service integration efforts in Colorado, Florida, Indiana, and Oregon, highlighting the nature of existing service integration and the potential of systemic reform efforts. The first part of the book examines the range and complexity of current service integration efforts, offers a definition…

In a review of literature on second language learning, an opinion is put forth that certain assumptions underlying the theory and the research have influenced researchers' attitudes about second language development and diminished the objectivity of the research. Furthermore the content of the research must then be examined within its…

This document is a resource guide to disabilities studies, an approach to disability which seeks to examine the social, economic, and political forces that for years have served to marginalize and oppress people with disabilities. Following an introduction that explains the field of disability studies, Section 1 is an annotated bibliography of 13…

Despite contemporary efforts to develop lists of department chair tasks and responsibilities, there is no historical foundation available for understanding the department chair position. This study was designed to identify the critical incidents and factors which impacted on the development of the department chair position in higher education from…

A small group of Boston Public School teachers met for a year to explore the question of what keeps teachers going, a question that bears asking because of the precarious situation of public education today. In this article, I describe the work of the What Keeps Teachers Going? inquiry group as a way to challenge current notions of what it means…

Cities and religious orders in colonial Latin America competed vigorously and often bitterly to acquire a university, but little is understood of the cultural impact of the university on cities, regions, or the colonial system. The university in the Spanish colonies derived its organization and traditions from the University of Salamanca, a…

This report provides background information on Polish refugees that may be of use to sponsors involved in Polish refugee resettlement in the United States. The report discusses economic and social conditions in Poland; the social values and political attitudes of modern Polish refugees as opposed to those of Poles who settled in the United States…

This handbook is addressed to organizations with goals related to post high school learning. Basic information is provided about future societal developments in the United States that should be taken into consideration in making organizational decisions. Some practical methods for long-range planning are also outlined. Four areas of societal…