The purpose of this study was to compare differences in perceptions of officials and personnel of educational agencies according to the following criteria: geographic region; corporation size; and frequency of participation.This study was designed to assess perceptions regarding: needs assessment; evaluation; dissemination; innovation; cooperation; decision-making; released time; diffusion; interpersonal relationships; status of education; community relationships; post-graduate education; reading of officials; and class size.The respondents included: board presidents; superintendents; central office administrators; principals; and teachers.Data processing consisted of determining percentages of respondents selecting potential choices on a thirty-nine item questionnaire. Items were analyzed according to region, agency size, and frequency of participation.Prior assessments resulted in conflicting findings. The literature, before August, 1973, failed to confirm or refute the value of sampled programs.Data indicate the respondents have not made use of assessment instruments to define appropriateness of content included in curricula.Data indicate the problems inherent in evaluation are not viewed as a deterrent to effective evaluation.Data indicate that innovative educational practices have not received extensive coverage by newspapers.Data indicate that among respondents an inverse relationship exists between an individuals position in the educational hierarchy and direct communication about innovation. Data also indicate that professional personnel made more positive statements concerning innovation in 1973 and 1967. Data reveal the amount of independent study and number of instructional areas allowing independent study has increased since 1967.Data indicate that cooperative efforts by staff to improve the quality of education offered to students has increased since 1967.Data show that more decisions concerning innovation were made by professional personnel, below the rank of superintendent, in 1973 than 1967. Data reveal that cognitive and affective objectives are formulated one year or less in advance of utilization.Data indicate that most school governing bodies have not increased the number of days of released time provided for the improvement of instruction. Data show the availability of materials and equipment has become an important factor in improvement of instruction.Data indicate that assistance offered to students by teachers for the development of effective study and work habits has increased since 1967.Data indicate that assistance provided for the improvement of instruction has increased since 1967.Data show the diffusion of information about participation was unsuccessful in most school districts.Data reveal that the quality of college preparatory and vocational curricula has increased since 1967. Data indicate the number of educational options available to students has increased since 1967.Data indicate the acceptance of innovation has increased since 1967, but acceptance is reduced by increased levels of responsibility. Data reveal the conviction among teachers that pupils interfering with learning opportunities of other students should be excluded from school, has increased since 1967. Data show the treatment of students as responsible individuals by professional staff has increased since 1967.Data indicate the amount of time spent dealing with contemporary issues has increased since 1967. Data show that an education received in an authoritarian school system is the best preparation for citizenship in a democratic society has decreased since 1967.Data indicate the amount of observable evidence, of cooperation between administrators and school patrons for the improvement of education offered students, has increased since 1967. Data show the amount of observable evidence, of cooperation between teachers and school patrons, has increased since 1967.Data indicate the amount of financial incentives, offered to professional personnel to encourage additional graduate study, has not increased since 1967.Data show the reading of professional literature has increased since 1967.Data reveal that no consistent relationship exists between the frequency of participation and the patterns of responses by individuals participating in this study.

The transition from an industrial to a global knowledge-based economy has put universities in the spotlight of public policies as the new drivers of innovation and sustained economic growth. Consequently, societal expectations towards the academic community have changed and so has, under the influence of neo-liberal ideas, the public governance of higher education. This is particularly true in federalist systems, such as Germany, Australia and the European Union, where the roles of each government level in governing the higher education sector had to be renegotiated and clarified. In Canada, however, despite repeated recommendations by policymakers, scholars and international organisations, the respective responsibilities have not yet been clarified and, to date, there are still no mechanisms to coordinate the post-secondary education policies of the federal and provincial governments. This paper inquires into the reasons for this exception. In the academic literature, this has generally been explained in terms of Canada’s uniqueness with respect to its federalist system and the decentralized higher education sector. We attempt to go beyond this traditional federalism, state-centered approach, which is predominant in the Canadian higher education literature. Instead, based on interviews and official documents and inspired by the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), we shall be looking at the belief systems of the major actors in the policy process and the degree of coordination among them. Our analysis comes to the conclusion that, on the one hand, proponents of a pan-Canadian approach are divided over their fundamental beliefs regarding the compatibility of inclusiveness and excellence. Some argue that the federal government must legislate common standards to ensure equal opportunities for all Canadians. Others propose a New Governance-inspired approach to create a differentiated and competitive university sector that meets the demands of the global knowledge-based economy more efficiently. On the other hand, even though the provinces differ in their beliefs regarding the equal opportunity versus economic efficiency debate, they share the same strong belief with respect to the role of the federal government. According to this view, post-secondary education is exclusively a provincial responsibility and the role of the federal government is solely to help them ‘fix the problems’. Moreover, contrary to the proponents of more intergovernmental collaboration, the provinces have successfully strengthened the coordination among themselves to block further perceived federal intrusions into provincial jurisdiction. We come to the conclusion that the absence of intergovernmental mechanisms to govern post-secondary education is a consequence of the diverging belief systems and the establishment of formal coordination structures among the provinces to block – as they perceive - further federal intrusions. Also, there is less of a sense of urgency to act compared to, say, health care. Finally, remembering the near-separation of Quebec in 1995, there is very little appetite to reopen the constitutional debates. Therefore, based on our analysis, we argue that contrary to suggestions by some higher education scholars, the establishment of intergovernmental coordinating mechanisms appears unlikely in the near future.

This study examines the representation of Local Education Authority (LEA) secondary schooling in England and Wales as it was portrayed in non-fiction British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) programmes in the twenty-one years that followed the 1944 Education Act. The primary sources drawn on for this study include the surviving microfilmed radio scripts, dating from 1944–1965 and held at the BBC Written Archives (BBC WAC). The correspondence files from contributors to programmes also provide a key source from BBC WAC. The majority of the programmes considered are radio broadcast, however some documentary films on the topic of secondary education, made by the BBC and transmitted on television, are also analysed. Where audio-visual copies have survived, the programmes were viewed at the BFI Viewing Services. The study draws on 235 BBC programmes in total, made in the years 1944–1965. The details of these broadcasts can be seen in the three Appendices accompanying this study. The study also employs the use of drawing to present key ideas. This study explores how broadcasts are formed as cultural products. The research questions address: what was the content of these programmes? Who collaborated to create and edit these programmes and how were the programmes devised to inform the public about the provision of secondary education? What was the role of the All Souls Group (ASG) in this collaboration? The public included a domestic audience in England and Wales and an overseas audience for whom distinct broadcasts were usually created. A further element of the research is a scrutiny of the BBC as an organization that positions itself as neutral. The considered programmes enabled a group of eloquent educationalists to use their rehearsed and edited ‘conversation’ on a public stage. As the study unfolds it becomes apparent that the members of the informal education discussion group, the ASG, were lobbying to encourage the topic of secondary education to resurface sufficiently often on air. The study concludes with recognition that the reinforcing of loyalties between overlapping networks, such as the BBC and the ASG, should no longer be approached with reticence in academic research.

The transition from an industrial to a global knowledge-based economy has put universities in the spotlight of public policies as the new drivers of innovation and sustained economic growth. Consequently, societal expectations towards the academic community have changed and so has, under the influence of neo-liberal ideas, the public governance of higher education. This is particularly true in federalist systems, such as Germany, Australia and the European Union, where the roles of each government level in governing the higher education sector had to be renegotiated and clarified. In Canada, however, despite repeated recommendations by policymakers, scholars and international organisations, the respective responsibilities have not yet been clarified and, to date, there are still no mechanisms to coordinate the post-secondary education policies of the federal and provincial governments. This paper inquires into the reasons for this exception. In the academic literature, this has generally been explained in terms of Canada’s uniqueness with respect to its federalist system and the decentralized higher education sector. We attempt to go beyond this traditional federalism, state-centered approach, which is predominant in the Canadian higher education literature. Instead, based on interviews and official documents and inspired by the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), we shall be looking at the belief systems of the major actors in the policy process and the degree of coordination among them. Our analysis comes to the conclusion that, on the one hand, proponents of a pan-Canadian approach are divided over their fundamental beliefs regarding the compatibility of inclusiveness and excellence. Some argue that the federal government must legislate common standards to ensure equal opportunities for all Canadians. Others propose a New Governance-inspired approach to create a differentiated and competitive university sector that meets the demands of the global knowledge-based economy more efficiently. On the other hand, even though the provinces differ in their beliefs regarding the equal opportunity versus economic efficiency debate, they share the same strong belief with respect to the role of the federal government. According to this view, post-secondary education is exclusively a provincial responsibility and the role of the federal government is solely to help them ‘fix the problems’. Moreover, contrary to the proponents of more intergovernmental collaboration, the provinces have successfully strengthened the coordination among themselves to block further perceived federal intrusions into provincial jurisdiction. We come to the conclusion that the absence of intergovernmental mechanisms to govern post-secondary education is a consequence of the diverging belief systems and the establishment of formal coordination structures among the provinces to block – as they perceive - further federal intrusions. Also, there is less of a sense of urgency to act compared to, say, health care. Finally, remembering the near-separation of Quebec in 1995, there is very little appetite to reopen the constitutional debates. Therefore, based on our analysis, we argue that contrary to suggestions by some higher education scholars, the establishment of intergovernmental coordinating mechanisms appears unlikely in the near future.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study was initiated while the researcher was still an educator at' a secondary school in Cape' Town, South Africa. This was the period of the mid-1990s soon after the first democratically elected government assumed power in -South Africa: During this period of transition, large-scale reforms were expected on', the, education- front. Educational management and specifically school management were an integral part of these reforms. In terms of school management the idea of parents taking. on a greater .role was receiving wide support. School governing bodies (SGBs) comprising various constituencies and with greater powers were supposed to be the instrument spearheading change III school management. . This study traverses three levels of policy development: national, provincial and local (that is, school). It seeks to understand how school governance policy is developed and implemented using the principle of contestation to guide the analysis. The following questions guided the research: What were the contestations which led to the development of school governance policy at national level. How was provincial school governance policy developed from national policy and what were the areas of contention between the two. What were the contestations resulting from implementation of school governance policy at the school level. At all three levels the discussion of the contestations was limited to the powers and functions of SGBs. By shedding more light on the above questions, it was hoped that the nature of policy contestation would become clearer. This in turn could enhance the study of policy analysis and development.

The purpose of this study was to develop and refine an instrument to assess knowledge levels of the discipline provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA '97). Such an instrument will assist in determining whether or not and to what extent additional training opportunities may be needed for school personnel who are responsible for disciplining students served in special education under IDEA '97. School officials who do not have proper knowledge and understanding of these provisions may violate students' rights by denying them the free appropriate public education to which they are entitled. The initial researcher designed instrument was a fixed-response test, consisting of 102 questions. Questions were based upon five identified areas of knowledge found in the discipline provisions: manifestation determination; functional behavior assessments; behavior intervention plans; interim alternative educational settings; and general procedural safeguards. Instrument items were written to assess knowledge for basic recall, commprehension, and application. A panel of experts reviewed this instrument to ensure content validity. Based upon the panel's recommendations, the instrument was revised and several questions were removed. A pilot study was then conducted with the resulting 68-question instrument. Fifty-eight graduate school students at East Tennessee State University participated in a test-retest study of the instrument. Pearson Product Moment Correlations and paired samples t-tests were used to determine test-retest reliability on the total test, as well as each subscale. Additionally, KR-20 estimates of internal consistency were obtained to determine the power of the instrument. The corrected item total correlations were utilized for each subscale to eliminate items that did not contribute to the consistency of the instrument. Finally, an item analysis was used to determine the final make up of the instrument. The final instrument contained 35 items, with seven items for each subscale.

Digital piracy is a problem that may never disappear from society. Through readily available resources such as those found in a university, students will always have access to illegal goods. While piracy is a global phenomenon, an institution's resources combined with the typical college student's lack of funds makes it more lucrative. Students use a number of methods to justify their actions ranging from previewing media to bringing justice to a corrupt company. While trying to understand the mindset of pirates is one route to deal with piracy, corporations attempted to alleviate the situation using added software encoding. These messages are not always effective, and in some cases caused further damage to consumer morale. Furthermore, students such as Joel Tenenbaum, who continued to pirate music despite warnings from his parents and the recording industry, exemplify the type of person that is unfazed by legal threats, leading to a question of ethics. Students may not feel that downloading is stealing despite numerous warnings from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and other major media organizations. The predominant solution used by universities involves monitoring the students' network connection to detect Peer-to-Peer (P2P) connections or other connections that involve the transferring of copyrighted goods. Unfortunately, the current tools contain flaws that a crafty student may easily circumvent, undermining any attempts a university's IT department may use to deter piracy. This study explored the nature of piracy prevention tools used by IT departments in the Florida State University System in order to determine their relative effectiveness. The study also looked into the opinions of the Information Security Officer in terms of alternative piracy prevention techniques that do not involve legal action and monitoring. It was found that most institutions do not use a formal piece of software that monitors for infringing data. They also stated that while their current techniques can do its required task, it was not perfected to a point where it could run autonomously. Furthermore, institutions agreed that students lack proper ethics and concern over the matter of copyright, but were not fully convinced that other preventions methods would be effective. The study ultimately considered monitoring techniques a short-term solution and that more research should be put into finding long-term solutions. It also implied that IT departments should be better funded in order to keep up with the technological gap.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires local education agencies to include parents as equal team members in the cultivation of their child’s individual education plan (IEP). Despite law, studies have shown that parents experience barriers to being included in the process. Barriers such as a lack of information, lack of understanding of the law, and feelings of unequal status or power as compared to school district team members have been noted. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions, feelings, and understanding of the initial IEP process as experienced by parents new to the world of special education. This study took the form of two research articles, each with a set of three research questions. Through the utilization of narrative inquiry, I was able to listen to the stories of parents as they tried to navigate their way through the initial IEP experiences, hear who supported their understanding along the way, learn how parents perceived their role during their journey, feel the emotions that parents shared feeling during their experiences, and find out if parents knew their procedural safeguard rights. The most impactful barriers for parents new to special education was the lack of adherence to legal timelines. Parent requests for special education assessment took up to two years for some parents. Lack of information and understanding of the IEP process and law was another major hurdle for participants. Without adequate information and understanding parents felt a power imbalance and feeling of being taken advantage of. Parents described a disconnect regarding how they viewed their parent role and how the school district viewed their role. A copious amount of praise was given to family resource centers for their support and trainings offered to parents.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was first passed in 1965 and has since been reauthorized several times, including as No Child Left Behind in 2001 and the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. The ESEA seeks to address the needs of low-income students; however, decades of reform efforts and government reports documenting inequality have done little to close gaps in educational resources or outcomes for marginalized groups. Accountability systems based on standardized testing are seen by policymakers on the Left and Right as the best way to improve education for marginalized groups, improve students’ economic preparedness, hold schools accountable for the funds they spend, and maintain an objective meritocracy. This paper argues that testing is a flawed tool to achieve the goal of education equality as accountability systems rely on flawed assumptions influenced by conservative and neoliberal economic ideologies.

The problem of this study is to analyze some of the effects of selected ESEA, Title III, PACE projects on the educational processes in Texas.