Urban transportation problems abound across America, including jammed highways during rush-hours, deteriorating bus service, and strong pressures to build new rail systems. Most solutions attempt either to increase transportation capacity (by building more roads and expanding mass transit) or to manage existing capacity (through HOV restrictions, exclusive bus lanes, and employer-based policies such as flexible work hours). This book develops an alternative solution to urban transportation problems based on economic analysis, but well aware of the political constraints on policymakers. The authors estimate that efficient pricing and service policies could save more than $10 billion in annual net benefits over current practices, but argue that powerful, entrenched political and institutional forces will continue to thwart efficient economic solutions to improve urban transportation. They believe, however, that some form of privatization would likely improve social welfare more than an efficient public sector system. Facing fewer operating restrictions, greater economic incentives, and stronger competitive pressures, private suppliers could substantially improve the efficiency of urban operations and offer services that are more responsive to the needs of all types of travelers. The authors conclude that policymakers have bestowed huge benefits on the public by allowing the private sector to play a leading and unencumbered role in the provision of intercity transportation. Public officials should take the next step and allow the private sector to play a leading role in the provision of urban transportation.

While socioeconomic status does affects students' success, both in academics and in future status in adult life, it does not have to be the only deciding factor. In his study, Alternate Route to School Effectiveness and Student Achievement, Dr. Patrick Chudi Okafor discusses the need to enhance school climate as an alternate to socioeconomic status in promoting students' success. He also investigates the climate in New York City public schools as the means of schools' survival, development, and growth, as it affects both school effectiveness and student academic achievement. He further considers schools, teachers, parents, communities, and governments with respect to their roles in students' academic development and growth.These considerations, among others, led Dr. Okafor to offer solutions to the issue of failure associated with low socioeconomic status at a time when more children are falling within this bracket and the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen. A quality learning environment presents a strong stimulus for societal change, development, and growth. By basing the overarching framework of his study on openness of the school and family systems, Dr. Okafor builds on the idea behind the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child". The academic relationship between the home and the school must be improved to guarantee sustainable student academic performance and "the home climate" is a major contributor to what children bring to school, just as "the school climate" is a major determinant to how it is transformed.

Special edition of the Federal Register, containing a codification of documents of general applicability and future effect ... with ancillaries.

This collection of narratives, stories, and case studies brings to life examples of policy processes that affect teacher educators' work, goals, and accomplishments, including certification, testing, allocation of policy responsibilities, standards, and resources. Gideonse, a veteran participant in teacher education policy struggles in many different arenas, has provided an invaluable service by pulling together representative contributions that sample recent policy initiatives from state and Federal agencies, special commissions, teacher education units, and professional organizations. He clearly details the complex interplay of climate, role, structure, assumptions, issues, and players in each episode. This selective combination of diverse types and voluminous amounts of data provides support for teacher educators seeking to more fully realize their professional aspirations and make more productive contributions to the policy debates that affect them.