As a result of rapid growth and changes in the student body, the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) has been engaged in a complete review and revision of its educational system since 1978. As part of this process, the Arts and Sciences Task Force (ASTF) was formed in 1980 to revitalize the liberal arts and science. The ASTF has…

Efforts are currently underway to adjust the focus of industrial arts instruction to concentrate more on the study and understanding of technology and its role in our lives. For many years industrial arts programs have been industry-based; however, many professionals support a curriculum that will relate industrial arts instruction more closely to…

Four issues of the newletter focus on aspects of education for academically talented students. The major articles in each issue address the following topics: the importance of career, psychosocial, and academic counseling for gifted students; curriculum development; summer programs of the Midwest Talent Search (MTS); leadership training; the…

Designed for media specialists and educators, this issue includes three articles which provide practical information for those who want to try making films with adolescents and children. The first article discusses cel animation techniques and explores applications of this type of filmmaking to the regular curriculum. The article touches on the…

The evidence from research using expectancy theory is synthesized to develop a contingency model of incentives for involving teachers in professional development. Research findings that focused on the administrative challenge of motivating teachers to engage in curriculum development tasks are used to test the model. (MLF)

This issue of Changing Schools explores what algebraic thinking is and why students need algebraic thinking. The efforts of Kansas and North Dakota to incorporate algebraic thinking into their state mathematics standards are described. Contents include: (1) "Algebraic Thinking: Preparing Students for Mastering Algebraic Concepts" (Vicki…

This issue of "Focus on Law Studies""contains a special emphasis on teaching about law and the family", in the form of the following three articles: "Teaching Family Law: Growing Pains and All" (Susan Frelich Appleton); "The Family Goes to Court: Including Law in a Sociological Perspective on the Family"…

This paper explores the course-planning activities of faculty teaching introductory undergraduate courses, in order to assess influences on the process of curriculum revision. The findings of a survey of 2,311 faculty members in 97 institutions of higher education are previewed here, prior to publication. The study found that faculty from…

There are two currents of social studies reform. One involves the search for an appropriate social studies core and is spearheaded by state governments and scholarly organizations. The second reform movement flows toward a social studies curriculum based on urgent domestic issues and the realities of global interdependence. The cross-purposes of…

Physical educators must foster community involvement as an ongoing process and be committed to providing physical education to all students. Ways to involve communities and to strengthen community support for physical education programs are discussed. (CJ)

The six editions of this newsletter provide a forum for the sharing of research findings and instructional strategies by faculty of Western Michigan University on issues connected with critical thinking. Topics addressed include alternative program designs for critical thinking instruction, a philosophical exploration of what critical thinking is,…

In order to help teachers identify works of literature that will remain vibrant parts of their students' lives and give them new insights into themselves, their friends, and their enemies, this journal contains articles suggesting works that the authors found most meaningful to themselves. Titles and authors are as follows: (1) "'April Morning':…

The elementary secondary curriculum in the United States could benefit from redefining the arts as a discipline to be interwoven into the school's curriculum. Four essays in this issue explore the question of the arts in education. John Holdren comments in "Will the Band Play On?" that music educators must stress the serious study of music as its…

Discussed are the rationale for, and the benefits accrued from, the use of graphing calculators within all aspects of the secondary mathematics curriculum. Examples are included that highlight specific features of graphing calculators. (JJK)

This theme issue of "The Docket" is devoted to national standards and their effects on education reform. National standards may provide the first real opportunity for schools to address the issues of student assessment and achievement. As the touchstone for educational equity, they may be the first real opportunity for teachers to…