California's 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education promised all students a chance to pursue a baccalaureate degree by guaranteeing a place at one of the public 4-year institutions for all students who successfully fulfill a minimum set of requirements at a community college. However, capacity constraints in the state's public colleges and…

Several recent studies have examined the impacts of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) on school operations and student achievement. We complement that work by investigating the law's impacts on teachers' perceptions of their work environments and related job attitudes, including satisfaction and commitment to remain in teaching. Using four…

Contract research has increased because of: agencies' time limits; governmental agencies' skepticism about academics' practicality; and a power struggle between government and universities for control of the information production business. Implications of the increase in contract research are discussed and recommendations are made. (MH)

The evaluation design described was used to aid the governing board to reach a policy decision about expanding the California Early Childhood Education program (renamed the School Improvement Program) in the Lafayette School District. Descriptions of procedures, question formats, audiences involved, and results are included. (MH)

The position is taken that the effectiveness of bilingual education programs has not been adequately researched or evaluated. The lack of appropriate critical, empirical, or longitudinal studies is attributed to several factors. (MH)

The Judicial Evaluation Method (JEM) is useful for aiding decision-making bodies to formulate policies. Broad public participation in complex issues is provided by JEM. (The conceptualization, policy formulation stages, and participant roles are identified; and the model is applied in two case studies). (MH)

The internal validity of the RMC models, especially Model A, is examined. Concern centers on limiting evaluation to cognitive outcomes, using constant percentile as the no-treatment expectation, and using norms for one test to establish the expected no-treatment performance level for another test. (MH)

A liberal interpretation of Section 151 of Public Law 93-380, to implement effective local evaluation of Title I programs, is supported. Weaknesses are cited: (1) nationwide impact data, (2) unsound aggregation of Title I achievement gains, and (3) lack of consideration of alternative evaluation methods. (MH)

Title I Evaluation models using uniform procedures and data collection for state and national comparisons are interpreted as federal endorsement of basic, common competencies in reading and mathematics. Basic competencies, content homogeneity, conversion methodology, and validity of the evaluation are discussed. (MH)

By means of a case study of the Saint Louis, Missouri school desegregation and reorganization program, administrative procedures for avoiding desegregation or creating an appearance of compliance are discussed. The strategies used include public relations, inbreeding of staff, coopting and/or dividing citizen action, and stalling for time. (MH)

Two kinds of jurisdictions are compared and contrasted to help identify what is--and is not--distinctive to dimensions of the political process. Areas where research is needed are identified. (PN)