Historians and social researchers have viewed social policy in America as primarily concerned with issues of equality. Argues that an equally important theme--a sense of loss--has gone largely unnoticed. Examines the role of loss in the historical development of social policy for public education. (Editor/RK)

Explores the premise that the key to school reform is political/procedural change rather than substantive improvement. Argues that recent interest in accountability arose from disappointing 1950s, 1960s reform efforts, and examines reforms based on reducing professional's power and increasing family/community participation. Scrutinizes social and…

This essay questioned several key assumptions underlying the application of social research to social policy. (Author/RK)

This article offers an account of how educational organizations have changed in response to expanding state and federal policy, presents some explanations for the changes, and discusses the chief problems that resulted. It also sketches an approach to thinking about the effects of policy on educational organizations. (CT)

The framework of microeconomics is used to account for the short lives of most merit pay plans. The authors demonstrate that teaching is not an activity that satisfies the conditions under which performance-based pay is an efficient method of compensating workers. (Author/CT)