In a series of reforms started in 1998 and formalized with the 2000 introduction of the Blueprint for Student Success, the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) implemented a wide-ranging series of reforms designed to boost the literacy skills of students. This article provides an overview of the reforms, assesses the contributions made by the…

In this policy brief, former P/PV President Gary Walker asks, "Is mentoring now a durable part of American social policy? If so, is this unalloyed good news?" Adapted from an article that first appeared in "The Handbook of Youth Mentoring" (DuBois and Karcher, ed. 2005), the brief reflects on the impact and appeal of mentoring, addresses various…

Summarizes the sociopolitical and pedagogical debates over bilingual and bicultural education. Reviews research findings on the effects of bilingual education, discusses issues concerning public expenditures for bilingual programs and the effects of language on social cohesion and academic failure, and advocates adopting an official national…

To maximize freedom from personal and political conflicts of interest, decentralized mechanisms of federal program evaluations are needed. Block grants mean that state legislatures and governors will become more responsible for oversight of funds. Three proposals are presented for helping the states deal with these increased evaluation…

This paper argues that the moral education approach to social studies is unsound both in its conception of learning and teaching and in its conception of politics. (Author/SJL)

The history of the federal government's involvement in elementary and secondary school curriculum development is traced. An attempt is made to place this involvement within a social and political perspective. Effects of policies and programs are outlined, and questions concerning the federal role in curriculum development are explored. (Author/GK)

Defines literacy needs of immigrants in Canada, using personal stories to illustrate the destructive effect literacy problems have on people perceived to lack literacy skills. Questions are raised about implications for Canadian society as a whole and about the effectiveness of its English-as-a-Second-Language programs. (LB)

Both the federal administration and Congress, through more dollars and more legislation, are expanding the federal role in education. Major themes running through the various legislative proposals will result in a reduced emphasis on fiscal controls, encouragement for process-oriented requirements, better integration of federal programs, and…

Describes worker education programs in Sheffield, England and Utica, New York; focuses on approaches for evaluating the impact of the pedagogy of liberation on such programs; discusses social psychological dilemmas of workers' education students; and suggests that the content of liberation pedagogy be restructured. (Author/MJL)

A two-pronged theory underlying literacy campaigns suggests that (1) the prevailing ideology of a society will determine the objectives of the literacy campaign as well as the language of justification used by the development elite in the promotion of adult literacy; and (2) the ideology, as expressed in the political culture of a society, will…

Examining the trends and issues in vocational education, this speech focuses on the historical basis for vocational education, the current situation in vocational education, vocational education in the 1980's, the role of vocational education in economic development, and research related to these topics. Issues which are currently being discussed…

This paper, on the state of inservice teacher education, is divided into five parts. The paper's first part, which focuses on the context in which teaching occurs and on the role of the teacher, points out that, while the common denominator in the study of teaching is the teacher/learner relationship, social issues also affect teachers and…