The Dayton Agenda

In November 1997, one hundred forty researchers, administrators, and others interested in the support of nonpublic schools gathered at the University of Dayton to develop a research agenda for American private education. Under the able direction of Dr. Tom Hunt of the University of Dayton, the assembled educators responded to presentations by a variety of speakers through interactive group sessions as they identified the critical gaps in current knowledge about the nonpublic schools. What developed over the several hours of intense sessions was an agenda that should give direction to researchers well into the twenty-first century.

The Dayton Agenda consists of questions grouped around the following fourteen topics:
1. Identity and values
2. Government funding, school choice
3. Assessment, accreditation, evaluation
4. Finances
5. Relationships between public schools and private schools
6. Parent and community involvement
7. Relations with higher education
8. Demographics
9. Technology
10. Diversity in enrollment
11. Staffing
12. Curriculum
13. Governance/administration
14. Private-school research

The articles in the following section pose answers to the questions developed at the Dayton conference. Researchers interested in the specific questions that were formed around these topics may contact the offices of the Journal by e-mail. We encourage research related to the Dayton Agenda and attempt to publish related articles in each edition of the Journal.