Describes an elementary school principal's visit to Japanese schools. Highlights positive impressions, such as 99 percent literacy, education's high priority, focus on basics, and students' proficiency in science and mathematics. On the minus side, Japanese schools give students scant individual attention and overemphasize memorization and highly…

This guide presents information on the procedures for peer review of grant applications. It begins with an overview of the review process for grant application submission and review. The review process includes: (1) pre-submission procedures that enable the Institute to plan for specific review sessions; (2) application processing procedures; (3)…

Outlines an objective approach for the selection of an architect for a Texas school district. (MLF)

Discussion at a 1990 symposium on democratic values and higher education administration is summarized. Issues addressed include productive competition in higher education, open access vs. competitive selection, assessment of teacher performance and instructional quality, and the relationship between higher education institutions and national…

Orange County (California) students in grades 9 and 10 compete in an annually held series of 10 competitive events measuring academic strengths. These events include tests in grammar and literature, fine arts, mathematics, science, social science, study skills, and a super quiz--a team event held before a large audience. In addition, there are…

In the last decade, there has been a dramatic increase in student stress associated with the college admission process. It is the responsibility of admissions professionals, with support from school counselors and administrators, to inform students and parents, reduce the obsession with selectivity, and concentrate on providing students with…

Finland's traditionally closed system of higher education, in which continuing education has been segregated into special centers, must address the reality of reduced resources and consider incorporating continuing education into the university. Establishment of a separate vocational higher education institution could further diversify the system.…

The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (Fairfax County, Virginia) offers a comprehensive college preparatory program emphasizing the sciences, mathematics, and technology. The school serves students selected on the basis of aptitude and interest in the biological, physical, mathematical, and computer sciences, and who intend…

Describes a class experiment where students search a hypothetical job market for jobs paying wages in a known range but with an unknown wage distribution. The experiment is divided into three "trials", each one introducing different variables (unemployment insurance, search costs, and recession). Includes experiment instructions and a…

This is a first-hand account of the process used in selecting undergraduates at Stanford University (California) between 1984 and 1991. The topics covered are also relevant to the procedures followed in many four-year colleges throughout the United States. There are sections on the use and abuse of standardized tests and on special considerations…