Head Start has long focused on assessing and improving program quality to ensure that the children served receive the best possible preparation for school and life. Most research has been focused inside the classroom--the classroom environment, teacher qualifications, and teacher interactions. Of course, the classroom is important because that is…

Development education and global learning, whilst being part of the landscape of education in England for over thirty years, have to date not had a high profile. What the terms mean, and their value and contribution to educational goals, have been described and defined in only a handful of publications. The introduction of the Global Learning…

Nonformal education is explored in the context of development in order to provide researchers with fundamental tools for selecting nonformal educational activities that can provide a framework for analysis. Criteria that can be used to determine nonformal educational activities are identified; development as the setting of nonformal education is…

Examines the educational changes that have occurred in China in recent years, the ways schools are run and students are educated, the interaction of students and the working community, and the implications for school systems in the United States. (RK)

Describes a project to stimulate international understanding among preschool and primary school children in Finland. Specific objectives include to stimulate commitment to human rights, increase self-confidence among pupils, give students a realistic view of the world, and help students become aware of increasing global interdependence. (DB)

Redefining the objectives of preschool education for French-speaking Switzerland is an undertaking involving coordination among the nation's cantons (districts) and requiring the greatest care. The challenge is to formulate aims--and more generally to propose a coherent image--for preschool education beyond the sensibilities and the traditions of…

After 10 years of academic education, students not going to college should enter 2-year programs of cooperative education. In these programs students would spend half their time in real-world employment and the other half studying subjects relevant to the world of living and working outside of school. (PGD)

This pamphlet discusses new curriculum guidelines, as approved under Ruling number 5220/97, for preschool education in Portugal. The law defines preschool as a first step in basic education that complements the education provided by the family, and recommends that schools work in collaboration with parents to foster the training and balanced…

Designed to serve as a resource for educational planners, administrators, and concerned individuals, this report reviews elements of Korea's long-term educational development plan. An introductory section presents basic positions about major educational issues that are related to planning for a long-term educational development. Part one traces…

During the past two decades, there have been several highly visible developments in education, including behavioral objectives, criterion-referenced test interpretations, the mastery model in instruction, performance-based instructional programs, competency testing, and accountability. This paper is an attempt to weave these various developments…

In a recent letter to NJEA President Frank Totten, Education Commissioner Fred Burke reviewed his Department's approach on the T & E (Thorough & Efficient) Law and its accompanying Administrative Code. (Editor/RK)

Presents the results of a survey conducted by the Canadian Society for Education through Art (CSEA). The survey questioned the relevance of policies in place since the late 1960s. The policies addressed subjects including competitions and exhibitions, commercially prepared materials, and the teaching of art. Includes responses and discussion. (MJP)

This report discusses the progress in the development and clarification of the term "environmental literacy" (EL) and suggests ways in which the term may be used to advance the field of environmental education. Part I presents the evolution of EL beginning with a description of the concept as a goal of general education. Discussed in…

Focusing on the school district's written expectations for students, this document examines curriculum improvement in four sections, each accompanied by a list of related references. The first section explores the organizational and substantive planning needed to structure any curriculum improvement project effectively and includes information on…

Arts education is a fundamental obligation of the public schools. Students grow in unique and critical ways by experiencing the arts through practice. The study of the heritage of the arts in their intellectual, critical, and aesthetic dimensions enhances student perspectives. Mankind's artistic achievements are the heritage of every child and an…