Given the global significance of Soviet-U.S. relations, elementary and secondary school students should learn about the Soviet Union, but most students graduate from high school with little knowledge and many misconceptions about this country. It is important to teach about the Soviet Union because of: (1) its emphasis in the U.S. media; (2) its…

Economics education in elementary and secondary schools is essential in order to prepare a responsible citizenry that can cope with economic problems and issues. This ERIC Digest examines: (1) the primary goal of economics education; (2) current economics curriculum patterns; and (3) methods of improving the economics curriculum. The basic…

Labor studies are often not included or underemphasized in the elementary and secondary school curricula. This ERIC Digest examines major themes of labor studies; inclusion of these themes in the curriculum; likely positive outcomes of labor studies in the curriculum; and available resources for teachers and students. Key historical events, the…

This digest addresses issues that should be considered in proposing technological solutions to the problems of public education. Although the potential benefits of the widespread application of media to instruction are supported, emphasis is on the need to define technology as a technique of designing instruction, rather than the more common…

Teaching about law-related education (LRE) in elementary and secondary schools is an important social studies trend. This ERIC Digest considers: (1) the meaning of law-related education; (2) reasons for including LRE in the curriculum; (3) methods of incorporating LRE into a curriculum; and (4) characteristics of effective LRE programs. Education…

This digest summarizes the issues involved in the instruction of college students with learning disabilities and offers a practical approach to teaching these students. It notes first that disability law at the college level is not as prescriptive as that for the elementary secondary level. Since the instructional climate in higher education is…

Educational accountability is central to the reputation of the nation's community colleges. Some community colleges are adopting mastery learning, competency-based education, curriculum tracking, and/or minimum competency-testing as a means of remaining educationally accountable. Mastery learning programs, under which students are required to…

Much of the evaluation of vocational education at the state and local levels has been conducted in response to federal legislation. Although some of the evaluative information has been useful for program improvement, much has been collected only for compliance with federal and state mandates. The educational reform movement has prompted school…

Since 1980, an increasing number of state and local education agencies have reintroduced a world history requirement into their secondary curricula. This ERIC Digest examines five key questions related to that trend. Questions raised, together with some salient points made in the discussion of each, are as follows: (1) What is the background to…

This discussion of the responsibilities of an English as a second language (ESL) program administrator in a university setting focuses on issues in four areas: (1) program; (2) students; (3) faculty; and (4) administration. In the first area, the ESL administrator establishes and maintains the curriculum, decides the combination of components…

This digest provides useful information on starting an elementary school foreign language (FLES) program. Individual sections address the following: (1) cautions in planning a FLES program; (2) initiating the planning process; (3) designing the program, with special attention given to scheduling and language choice; (4) programs that lead to high…

This digest discusses the need for differentiating language arts instruction for gifted students in grades K-8. It begins by describing differentiation approaches, including acceleration, depth, complexity, challenges, and creativity. It then explains how teachers can differentiate the language arts curriculum in the following five areas: (1)…

During the last two decades learning communities, which are felt to have benefits that extend beyond students to faculty and the institution, have expanded to include many different models. This digest reviews five major higher education learning community models currently in existence: (1) Linked courses, which link cohorts of students taking two…

Most educational programs focusing on dialect differences are constructed to move speakers toward the standard variety of English. However, dialect study as language study in its own right introduces dialects as resources for learning about language and culture, with potential for language arts education. Systematic introduction of dialect…

This digest, based on a larger publication of the same title, offers a nine-step process for planning and implementing adaptations to instructional materials for students with disabilities in the inclusive classroom. Introductory material notes that adaptations should be approached as a short-term solution to increase access to the curriculum and…