Senator Edward M. Kennedy, chairman of the committee, opened the hearing by commending President Bush and U.S. Department of Education Secretary Lamar Alexander for putting forward an education reform plan. Kennedy then stated his reservations: the plan does not devote enough attention to school readiness; the administration emphasizes choice as a…

The oversight of state education reforms is explored in this paper, with a focus on the motivations of program fixers and the strategies they use to guide implementation. Fifty-seven interviews were conducted with legislators, committee staff, and legislative agency staff to analyze the program fixing process in six states--Arizona, Louisiana,…

This pamphlet is designed to help parents lobby for state-level funding of gifted programs. Suggestions for making telephone calls and writing letters to representatives and senators are offered along with sample scripts for a telephone call and a letter. A description of the 15-step legislative process for gifted education bills in Illinois is…

A study examining factors influencing decisions state legislators make about school finance focuses on votes in Michigan, Missouri, and Washington. Each of these states passed major school finance reform legislation during the 1970's and used open legislative procedures in which individual legislators were free to vote their consciences.…

A brief discussion of the growing conflict between teachers, administrators, school board members, legislators, and citizen groups over who should have how much control over various aspects of education. (JG)

This compilation of seven briefs is intended to help citizens lobby United States senators, representatives, and their staff members on issues of importance to the Hispanic American community. Each brief synopsizes an issue, reviews current proposals for addressing the issue, and suggests the appropriate action that the member of congress should…

A report on the 3-year regional project, sponsored by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), on the public investment in higher education and its importance to economic development for the six state legislatures of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont is presented. During the years…

Voting patterns in the 97th United States Congress (1981), in which the Senate was under Republican control for the first time in 30 years, are analyzed. The study measured conservatism from congressional voting analyses made by the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), Americans for Constitutional Action (ACA), and the Conservative Coalition…

To help subscribers better understand the federal budget, the editorial staff of "Report on Preschool Programs" has prepared this special analysis of the fiscal 1985 budget. The first section presents an overview of President Reagan's fiscal 1985 budget request and reports congressional reactions. Information focuses on the Social…

This paper urges colleges to take an active role in the political decision-making process and uses the lobbying efforts of Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) as an example. The paper first notes the inability of the Florida community colleges to foster a concise public image, the concomitant lack of attention paid by the state legislature to the…

In an investigation of the communication similarities and differences between male and female legislators, the nine female representatives in the Michigan House of Representatives were matched with nine male representatives on four variables: political party, length of legislative service, district represented, and race. The representatives were…

Over 100 of the nation's 400 Indian tribes are overlooked in the administration of Indian trust responsibility. Senate Bill 2375 establishes administrative procedure to be followed by the Department of the Interior in acknowledging a federal relationship with certain Indian tribes. On April 18, 1978 testimony was conducted before the Senate Select…

Five papers are presented from a legislative seminar on budgeting for higher education and the legislative oversight process. In "Budgeting: A University Perspective," Jack K. Williams addresses the preparation of an institutional budget, what legislators should know about budgets, plans for no-growth or retrenchment, and the importance…

This information guide on women's educational equity is intended for legislators and others concerned with legislation. Each of the two sections--people resources and print resources--is only a partial listing of what exists, but serves as an entry point to the vast number of resources available. Many of the print resources are described briefly.…

This document reports the names of the senators, representatives, and other elected officials of the 94th Congress, their states and congressional districts, and each institution of higher education located therein. It includes all institutions meeting at least one of the criteria enumerated below, including new schools certified by the…