Summarizes findings of various reports about the condition of American education in comparison to that of other countries. When data are analyzed with no prior position as to what they say, the nation's schools seem to perform at a higher level than that which has been presented. (SLD)

Analyzes data from the 1990 U.S. Census of Population and Housing to provide a broad statistical portrait of the children of immigrants today. Using families as the unit of analysis, researchers compare native-born children of native-born parents to children with at least one foreign-born parent. These children are compared using social, economic,…

The social stratification process is analyzed from a theoretical point of view, with assumptions tested with empirical evidence from the International Institute for Educational Planning project in developing countries or with information obtained through the researcher's prior studies on industrialized countries. The significant, and often…

An assessment of the educational status of children and youth attending Cleveland (Ohio) public schools was conducted through analysis of recent trends in the district and a comparison of the performance of students in the Cleveland schools with that of students in other large urban districts, Atlanta (Georgia), Boston (Massachusetts), and San…

Fifty-eight studies relating to the "knowledge gap" hypothesis (a theory that correlates public knowledge to educational level and mass media exposure) are examined in this report. In the opening sections, the theory is defined, and the early information diffusion studies and public opinion polls that led to its formulation in 1970 are…

This report examines what is currently known about the employment of college graduates in the United Kingdom (U.K.). The first two sections offer an historical and comparative overview of the issue and a discussion of the methodology. A third section examines and discusses findings from the literature on employer needs and wants. This is followed…

An historical problem in the education of minorities has been that those responsible for minority education have isolated the educational process from the culture of the minority being served. This factor and others (cultural bias, lack of opportunity, and background) have contributed to lower levels of educational attainment of rural minorities…

Focusing on the controversy over whether community colleges aid or hinder their students' socioeconomic attainment, this paper aims to definitively determine the effects of these institutions and to explore how they produce those effects. The first section critically synthesizes research comparing the community college and other postsecondary…

The report interprets and explains the basis of Mexican American/Anglo disparity in the educational experience through the theoretical framework of "group conflict." Chapter One presents the group conflict model of society, outlining the manner in which groups form and compete for power, wealth, and prestige. Chapter Two focuses on the way in…

Continuing concern regarding the quality and future of education in both America and Japan prompts many comparisons of their nation's educational systems. Chapter 1, "Japanese Schools' Higher Achievement, Literacy, Efficiency, Discipline, Classroom Management, and Strengths of Civilization," attempts to explain the superior performance…