Using Jean Piaget's theory of thinking as a structuring mechanism, this paper presents a theoretical framework for the development of remedial, corrective, and developmental reading programs geared toward teaching reading comprehension. The four stages of intellectual development that Piaget has proposed (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete…

Discusses structural reforms needed to improve the present public education system and presents a strategy for effecting the needed changes. Highlights include changing educational needs in an information-oriented society; the teacher's role; learning laboratories; developmental levels; students' roles; district organization and administration;…

One of the continuing problems for public education has been the absence of effective programs to support teachers during their induction into the profession. Describes an intervention program coordinated by mentor counselors and mentor teachers along with preliminary qualitative and quantitative findings. (JBJ)

This paper examines remedial programs in colleges and discusses the relationship of those programs to diagnostic testing. The Basic Skills Placement Test (BSPT) is required of all College freshman in New Jersey public colleges. Mercer County Community College, used as an example throughout this paper, uses the BSPT as a basis for placing students…

Reviews science and technology policymaking in five countries with free-market economies: the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Republic of Korea, and the United States. Implications for eastern European and other countries currently reorganizing toward domestic market economies and greater orientation toward world trade are discussed. (61…

Reviews the literature on the benefits of mentor relationships for both the protege and the mentor. Suggests that experienced developmental educators mentor colleagues new to the field and that developmental students be encouraged to find and cultivate mentoring relationships. (DMM)

This reaction paper offers evidence for the effectiveness of nondirective instructional models with special needs young children. The construct of "developmentally appropriate practice" is viewed as a working hypothesis and as a continuous variable, not a dichotomous variable. Relationships between early childhood education and early childhood…

Students' high school experiences often do not prepare them adequately for postsecondary education and the world of work. Special attention should be paid to increasing the rigor, relevance, and engagement of the high school curriculum, including for students who have traditionally faced barriers to successful postsecondary transitions. This Issue…

This package includes a description of Nova University's Human Resource Development (HRD) core seminar and seven doctoral student papers. The description (by Warren Groff) explains how a major curriculum change was made to convert the vocational, technical, and occupational specialization seminar, Personnel-Human Resources Development, to the core…

This paper reviews the research on use of collaborative writing teaching methods at the postsecondary level. Following a brief summary of the theoretical framework of collaborative writing, the paper examines the research on the six features of collaborative writing most used in classrooms: disclosure, which encourages students to engage in deep…

This paper brings together information on the conditions and needs of children who have been exposed to drugs, federal programs that affect the well-being of these children, and policy questions that need resolution. Discussion concerns: (1) characteristics of infants who have been exposed to drugs and their families, including prevalence and…

Meaning and knowledge are separate constructs. Meaning is an idiosyncratic, cognitive construct; knowledge is a social construct built upon various shared meanings that are reconstructed and judged to be accurate or probable by a particular community. Language is the medium through which both meaning and knowledge are formed. Instructors can…

States that initial impressions form student perception of the classroom environment and instructor's communication style. Uses the "Individualized Classroom Environment Questionnaire" (ICEQ) and the "Components of Communicative Competence Scale" (CCCS) to understand how students perceive their own communication abilities and…

This examination of remedial instruction in institutions of higher education provides an analysis of the functions and purposes of remediation; a discussion of the types of remediation, who participates, and how well it serves them; an examination of the financial costs of remediation; an appraisal of the economic and social consequences of not…

Offers a review of research conducted on reading comprehension, focusing on studies of the cognitive processes involved in the comprehension of the meaning of the microstructures and macrostructures of a text. (DMM)