Some recent articles argue that the key to public education reform is exposure to market pressures. This article suggests that market forces shape the demand for, and the politics of, U.S. education. Market processes and pressures must bear substantial responsibility for the condition of U.S. schools and the problems afflicting them. (117…

Reviews three ways of discussing and analyzing public and private educational choice: by theoretical issues, evaluation of existing choice programs, and inferences drawn from existing private-public school differences. At present, very little is known about choice's potential effects. Research should move carefully, experimenting with constrained…

Henry M. Levin finds Balfanz's article a dispassionate attempt to explore the connections between workplace performance and curriculum reform. Educational reform efforts often misinterpret and simplify the relationship between informal knowledge, academic skills, and individual productivity. Consequently, the U.S. public's productive capacity is…

Outlines strategies to reduce inequities in numerous counties, focusing on the distribution of financial and human resources. Also addresses issues of diversity and conformity in education systems. Reduction of regional imbalances does not necessarily require imposition of uniformity, but the diversity caused by decentralization is not always…

Critically examines current education reform, based on a 50-state survey. Studies state legislation passed since 1983 and investments in 1988 reforms in the context of current educational issues, highlighting areas for further research. Presents data on special populations. Future reforms will be cast in response to present-day emphases. Funding…

Israel has recently seen the growth of a movement demanding greater parental choice and more diversity in public schools. This article examines the state-supported TALI (or reinforcing Jewish studies) schools, focusing on a study analyzing the motives behind parental choice and the effects of choice on the social and cultural composition of…

Examines how five trends--socioeducational demands, local political empowerment, technological options, economic trends, and nonlinear planning--weaken the school's authoritative status and strengthen school choice. Finds planning for choice an attribute of future educational policymaking and planning. Presents a conceptual framework for…

Schools' inability to develop effective marketing strategies has weakened their ability to counter the crisis of confidence embodied in failed bond initiatives, increased political interventions, parent revolts, and community disenchantment. This article identifies and analyzes the natural market forces that create bridges and/or barriers between…

Examines budgeting policies in five large urban school districts that have adopted school-based management to characterize the extent to which dollars have been decentralized, along with decision-making responsibility and authority. Contrary to other studies, results suggest that new decision-making patterns exist that effectively empower…

In 1987, the Rochester Teachers Association and the Board of Education negotiated a contract that created a professional career ladder for teachers, mandated shared decision making at the school level, and called for strengthening the relationship between teachers and their students' families. This article examines teacher response to these…

Examines the impact of teacher unions in two centralized educational systems--France and Israel--on school reforms. Document analysis and interview data suggest that, since 1970, teacher unions in both countries have been demanding and receiving more say in educational policy reforms. Despite similarities in tactics, French unions are more…

Defines the success of Japanese education as a high level of average academic achievement for an entire student population accomplished at relatively low cost. Discusses various contextual explanations, including motivational, cultural, societal, administrative, and behavioral differences. Underscores Japanese civilization's overall stability,…

Japanese schools succeed in promoting student achievement because they meet children's human needs, thereby fostering strong, positive emotional bonds between child and school. Several factors make Japanese schools extraordinarily responsive, including their whole-child, values-rich pedagogy; caring, supportive community; group orientation; and…

Describes the form of whole-class teaching found in Japanese and Chinese classrooms and points out the benefits of this type of classroom organization and teaching when lessons are conducted by well-prepared, skilled teachers. Information was obtained from the authors' visits to East Asian classrooms and from a large observational study involving…

Using two case studies, examines the systems used by Japanese middle school teacher/counselors to counsel troubled early adolescents. The system works well for prevention, but can substantially drain a teacher's time. Cautions against wholesale adoption of Japanese organizational techniques in California schools, since teachers are already…