Prospects for reforming assessment are dim. Persistence of the "education crisis" is chiefly attributable to the testing industry's profit margins and its distrust of teachers--a ploy to preserve the educational power structure. Schools should be accountable to local communities, not corporate entities, as a Nebraska initiative shows.…

Educators are successfully incorporating electronic mail into elementary and secondary classrooms. This paper refers to an article by Hugh Barr which describes a variety of instructional programs that use electronic mail as part of the social studies curriculum. Barr notes that essential components of interschool e-mail are purpose, structure, and…

Poor writing among students is not necessarily a function of poor learning, but rather may be a function of poor teaching, and poor writing instruction will continue as long as English remains an undisciplined profession. Examples of the profession's lack of discipline include curricula devised by individual teachers, part-time teachers…

Offers a high school principal's perspective on the effects on principal-teacher relations of implementing a North Central Association Outcomes Accreditation process. Highlights the importance of teacher ownership of the process and of the principal's involvement and interest as a colleague. (DMM)

The Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois, Chicago is a high-visibility urban-policy research center that is sometimes drawn into controversial issues. University leadership must defend academic freedom vigorously, but that freedom cannot be used indiscriminately for faculty pronouncements; faculty and administrators must ensure…

The process at the University of Maryland at College Park to cut its budget substantially over two years is described. Key principles were avoidance of across-the-board cuts, maintenance of commitments, faculty involvement, openness, and ongoing communication within the institution. Advisory committee, college senate, and off-campus lobbying…

Describes the nature and extent of Arizona State University's public service, policy research, and outreach programs, noting efforts to make university policy research findings available to the public, the trend toward broad-based multidisciplinary research, and the involvement of significant numbers of students and faculty. The need for better…

In the first section of this collection of essays on part-time faculty development, Carol Eliason outlines the problems inherent in current staff development practices and a systems approach to their solution. Then, David Harris voices concerns and challenges from the college president's perspective. Richard Smith explains the benefits of…