This ironic indictment of a health care system that continues to allow people to get sick recommends reforms ranging from a merit pay system for doctors to getting tough on uncooperative patients. Parallels with recent proposals for educational improvement are implicit. (MJL)

Based on interviews with Reagan administration officials and informed observers, this analysis chronicles changes in federal education policy since 1981 and summarizes the current positions of the administration, Congress, and the professional associations. The next two years are seen as crucial to the future direction of federal education policy.…

Most district officials interviewed expressed satisfaction with the simplified application procedures and increased district discretion offered by the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. Perceived negative aspects included the amount of funding and possibility of a decrease, the potential neglect of research, the loss of federal…

Analysis of formula allocations plus discretionary grants of Chapter 2 funds to the 28 largest school districts reveals decreases in funding in 16 districts formerly receiving the greatest Emergency School Aid Act allocations. These districts generally experienced smaller cuts under the block grants than during the year before consolidation. (MJL)

Federal education programs increase costs because they attach fewer strings to funds than state or local grants, and this is likely to lead to administrative empire-building. Bureaucracy tends pathologically as it grows to generate more work for itself independent of true administrative needs. Some policy implications are drawn. (MJL)

Although judicial influence in education seems to have faded since 1973, the federal government's diminished involvement in educational support and policymaking may result in a new wave of reform if challenges to the nonenforcement or rewriting of existing statutes providing services to disadvantaged groups are brought to court. (MJL)

Responses of 352 principals surveyed on topics including courses taken by graduates by class ranking and anticipated outcomes of increased graduation requirements revealed a general concern that recommendations similar to those of "A Nation at Risk" might serve college-bound students at the expense of the less able. (MJL)

A study aimed at developing a methodology for isolating and analyzing the value content of television programs is described and implications for education discussed. Three programs popular with children were found to present positive and negative values with equal frequency, though antisocial values were presented with greater intensity. (MJL)

The application of an educational planning model designed for involving a representative sample of school patrons in decision making is described with reference to the case of Gilbert, Arizona. The article focuses on the first of the model's three phases: prioritizing goals, curriculum development, and program design and evaluation. (MJL)

In a districtwide student and community survey, reading with comprehension was considered the most important skill necessary for graduation, while decision-making skills were rated the most important general category. Many respondents believed that the home, community, and school should share the responsibility in such areas as values education.…

A series of legal actions brought by Elmo Tatum charging the University of Nebraska with discriminatory policies is reviewed. The United States Supreme Court awarded the university damages because of the "frivolous" nature of Tatum's appeal, and the essay concludes that this may inaugurate a campaign against the flood of litigation. (MJL)

The background, present policies, and future prospects of public funds for private schools in European countries are surveyed. A matter of current debate, subsidies to private schools are judged likely to survive, though a declining total school enrollment may lead to cutbacks. (MJL)

A study examining the validity of college student ratings of teachers as a measure of teacher effectiveness is summarized. Student ratings of two instructors cooperatively teaching a course and using common materials were compared with student achievement measures and student assessment of five instructional dimensions. (MJL)

Researchers asked 316 public school parents how they would respond if government money, such as a tuition tax credit, was provided to help send their children to private schools. Results suggest that if tuition tax credits are made available, the public school population will tend to shift further toward lower-income families. (MJL)

Student dropout rates of 272 public secondary schools of different sizes and organizations are compared using analysis of variance. Results are interpreted to support the suggestion that a secondary school can reduce its dropout rate by keeping the total enrollment over 400 students and by including grades 7 through 12. (MJL)