Provides a personal account of the history and politics of the sociology department at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri. Discusses classes offered throughout the Vietnam War years, concentrating on the more radical course offerings. Describes the professors who taught these courses. Maintains that the closing of the department is the…

The legislated abolition of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) has resulted in a catastrophic decline in adult education, a market approach as opposed to ILEA's equal opportunities policies, reduction in staff, and narrowing of curricular focus. (SK)

The zero-based curriculum model can help school boards and administrators make decisions about what to keep and what to cut. All instructional programs are ranked and judged in categories ranging from required to optional. (MLF)

Reports on a tenure controversy within the Indiana University department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures that has involved possible death threats, a hunger strike, and controversy over the department's continued existence. For now the professor, an expert on Islamic philosophy, remains at the institution, other faculty have left, and…

When the University of Arkansas' president determined that the university's press should be shut down due to financial losses, journalists, letter writers, faculty, and editors at other university presses undertook a successful campaign to save it. The debate highlights the economic difficulties of academic publishing and the role of the…

Interviews with 25 teachers and 95 students discussed how satellite-based, narrowcast interactive television was implemented in Australian elementary-secondary classrooms for second language instruction. Despite some positive experiences, participation declined due to poor program quality, inappropriate pace and level, and repetitive worksheets.…

This article reports on a nationally-watched case by educators and families which is scheduled to be heard by the Florida Supreme Court. The court is to decide whether Opportunity Scholarships, available to students enrolled in Florida's persistently lowest-rated public schools, run afoul of a prohibition on using public money in religious…

The Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP) is an independent, nonprofit research center based in Washington, DC that is dedicated to researching public policy and economic issues relating to postsecondary education. CCAP aims to facilitate a broader dialogue that challenges conventional thinking about costs, efficiency and…

Almost everyone agrees that colleges have become costly to attend and are a growing burden on society to finance. Rising tuition costs threaten the ability and desire of students to attend college. Are there things that can be done to significantly reduce the cost of college? The answer is an emphatic "yes." The Center for College Affordability…

This book provides a sociological and historical analysis of the evolution and demise of a state college's educational opportunity program, the goal of which was to compensate for unequal pre-college education and provide equal opportunities for economically and educationally disadvantaged students. The program was an example of a special…

Most public schools, out of financial necessity, have had to reduce costs while maintaining facilities and essential programs and remaining accountable for student outcomes. School downsizing can mean making painful decisions about program elimination and staff layoffs. This digest offers suggestions for using downsizing to some…

This fifth edition of the Maryland Community Colleges Instructional Program Manual was designed to be used in the development, submission, review, and approval of all new instructional programs in the Maryland community colleges. The first section provides a timetable for program proposals and program evaluations. The next sections contain…

Using the experiences of individual school districts, such as the Yonkers (New York) Public Schools, the author provides advice on how a board should carry out a reduction in force (RIF). She stresses the need to develop a written RIF policy and recommends involving staff and the community in the policy development process. Issues the policy…

The legal situation of a college being sued by a group of students following elimination of a graduate program is outlined and analyzed in terms of other related court litigation, the possible directions of the case, and the college's possible legal defenses. (MSE)

Most public schools, out of financial necessity, have had to reduce costs while maintaining facilities and essential programs and remaining accountable for student outcomes. School downsizing can mean making painful decisions about program elimination and staff layoffs. This digest in Spanish offers suggestions for using downsizing to some…