These highlights are based on mail responses to a National Science Foundation (NSF) inquiry to its Industrial Panel of Science and Technology, and interviews with other research and development (R&D) officials. Although it is not intended to be a statistically valid sample of R&D firms, NSF's Industrial Panel includes representatives from all…

The articles in this volume explore various conceptions of assessment and evaluation and the ramifications of these perspectives in a number of countries across many diverse art educational settings. Kit Grauer introduces the theme in "An Editorial: Values and Evaluation." In "International Perspectives on Evaluation and Assessment…

In France, career paths are negotiated not just on the industry level but also within companies. Since the passage in 1982 of the Auroux Laws, which require companies to undertake annual negotiations regarding real wages, real working hours, and the organization of work time, there has been a trend toward creation of individualized career paths.…

This issue of a research journal on gifted education examines a number of research projects that delve into questions of how family life affects intelligence, especially among gifted children. Specific articles include: (1) "Are We Raising Smarter Children Today?" (Wendy M. Williams), which discusses the effects of school-related factors…

When evaluating student performance, teachers often find themselves in a quandary. Teachers must judge, sometimes with firm frankness, while also demonstrating caring. Fortunately, assessment in schools is moving away from judgment to embrace the notion of teachers and students sitting beside one another during the teaching, learning, and…

This report discusses the use of performance indicators (PIs) in higher education, focusing on definitions, frameworks, examples, and implications for universities. It notes that demands for accountability have led to intense interest in university performance measures, and that early indicators simply described the university or the system and…

Five articles in this special issue present the approaches to accountability found in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland, provinces that represent 85% of all Canadian elementary and secondary school students. The articles are then discussed by representatives of four national Canadian educational associations. (SLD)

This SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) Kit presents the results of a survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries designed to investigate the status of core competencies (i.e., the skills, knowledge, abilities, and attributes that employees across an organization are expected to have to contribute successfully…

The eight chapters of this theme issue use quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the nature and nurture of young participants in the mathematics Olympiad from five countries. Parallel studies are presented of winners from China, Taiwan, and the United States, along with descriptions of programs in Japan and Russia. (SLD)

Difficulties in language communication and in understanding cultural differences, values, and the structure of the family are a few of the topics included in this paper on counselor education. Teaching professional counselors about working with multicultural communities and the culture of newly immigrant communities allows them to function more…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 11 titles deal with the following topics: (1) newspaper competition in Phoenix, Arizona, since 1947; (2) American journalism and China from 1945 to 1950; (3) the potential of newspapers as aids in establishing societal change and…

The results of a project to determine how English polytechnic lecturers see their teaching objectives are presented. Development of a behaviorally referenced student feedback questionnaire and the theory behind behavioral referencing are described. The definitions of teaching and learning are explored and the relationship between teaching and…

The Yap Classroom Assessment Project is an attempt to introduce new methods of assessment, with an emphasis on performance assessment, into the practices of teachers in the Pacific, integrating the strengths of Yapese culture with children's education. The project, developed by the Pacific Region Educational Laboratory (PREL), concentrates on…

Several approaches being used to support students in distance education programs in the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries are described. Britain's Open University support services are offered through tutor-counselors in about 260 local study centres throughout the United Kingdom. Students are assigned to specialist tutors who…

This report brings together the latest available statistics on national achievements in child survival, health, nutrition, education, family planning, and progress for women. Each section contains a commentary, a presentation of related statistics, and a discussion on achievement and disparity. The sections are: (1) Introduction, "Social…