Eleven members of Botswana's National Assembly were questioned about their information needs. The parliamentarians' perceptions of information, sources of information, and information-seeking behavior were investigated, and the National Assembly Library and research needs were assessed. The "Assessment of the Information Needs of…

A model of roll call voting by House members on the Family and Medial Leave Act (FMLA) of 1990 was tested. Found that support for the FMLA was tied to a range of dispositional and contextual demand variables: conservatism, presidential support, etc. The model accurately predicted 90% of the votes. (RJM)

Whether consensus existed among groups involved in implementing the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was examined through the Delphi technique for legislators, policymakers, directors of rehabilitation centers, and client training staffs. Different perceptions of objectives are highlighted, and the usefulness of the Delphi technique is…

Events leading to the passage in 1984 of Arizona's bilingual education law are examined using interviews with policy elite and concepts developed by D. E. Mitchell and others (1985) for studying distinctive cultures of state educational policymaking. Passage of a mandatory or more comprehensive law was not likely. (SLD)

In hopes of shedding light on how public school leaders can better advocate on the state level for the needs of their schools and their students, The School Administrator turned to policymakers in different settings and with different political leanings. They invited a trio--a Republican state legislator from the Chicago suburbs, a rural…

Authorities in America have traditionally left governance of pubic universities to faculty and administrators, under a presumption of academic freedom and an apparent trust that all was well. This hands-off policy persisted as radicals virtually extinguished intellectual pluralism. Throughout the process, the NAS has seen successes in a campaign…

This document records testimony from a hearing held to examine how federal agencies can improve their individual and collective efforts to strengthen K-12 science and math education. Presenters and witnesses included: Representative Sherwood L. Boehlert, Chairman, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives; Representative Bart Gordon,…

This paper reviews research concerning the attitudes that principals, journalism advisers, high school journalism press association directors, and student editors hold toward student publications, and it reviews research concerning effective political strategies. The study focuses particularly on the strategies employed by supporters of student…

This handbook offers suggestions for action to protect the interests of vocational-technical education. Part 1, Advocacy, has four parts: why vocational-technical education professionals should get involved in the legislative process; guidelines for communicating with one's legislator through personal visits, letters/e-mail/faxes, telephone calls,…

This unit is one of a series that represents specific moments in history from which students focus on the meanings of landmark events. By studying primary sources of a crucial turning point in history, students become aware that choices had to be made by real human beings, that those decisions were the result of specific factors, and that they set…

Most research efforts concerning minority politics have focused on descriptive representation, which emphasizes (1) counting the minority or female persons in office, and (2) explaining representative levels on the basis of political, social and economic determinants. Descriptive representation, however, is passive and focuses on "being something"…

Actions which state legislators can take to promote the improvement of K-12 public education are presented in this brochure. The brochure is one of a series which offers specific ways in which different interest groups can respond to the eight broad action recommendations proposed by the Education Commission of the States' Task Force on Education…

As public institutions, community colleges are dependent for their survival and continuity upon favorable evaluations by the external constituencies that finance the colleges. Underscoring the resource-dependent nature of community colleges are the revenue limitations brought about by declining enrollments, the effects of high costs, and taxpayer…

Educators should become more personally active in getting to know legislators and in calling attention to the kinds of experiences, information, and personal contacts that would enable legislators to make better decisions about education. (Author)

The presentations comprising this report examine the approaches that representatives of small and rural community colleges have used in creating and maintaining positive working relationships with state legislative bodies. After introductory remarks by Herbert E. Phillips, Milton O. Jones discusses the fiscal constraints at small colleges that…