Kids Voting USA is a grass roots, community-driven voter education program. A Kids Voting community must mobilize corporate sponsors, election officials, media representatives, and administrative staff to print curricula, train teachers, prepare students, welcome them to polling precincts, and count and report their votes. Children become…

The following remarks were prepared by Judge John Sirica prior to suffering a heart attack. Although he was unable to address the convention, we feel his discussion of citizenship to be a most appropriate inclusion for this Bicentennial convention report. (Editor)

Citizens in a democracy should understand the relationship of technological development to societal change. The rationale for universal technological education stems from the ideals of cultural education, the responsibilities of democratic life, and the need for economic security. Technology education furthers understanding of our technological…

Instead of perpetuating a macroeconomic labor-exchange model, educators must discover how to promote individual career planning for everyone. If each person has one lifelong career, we must help people get and keep jobs, while helping them plan future worklives and balance work roles and responsibilities with other life roles. (22 references) (MLH)

A genuine, ethical public-relations program must not center around capitulation in the face of criticism from particular persons or interest groups. Nor should it be directed at propagandizing or browbeating the public into submission. Instead, PR programs should strive to achieve mutual understanding via symmetric, two-way communication. (9…

In response to the critical need for geographical knowledge, educators and concerned stakeholders have built a national consensus regarding content standards in "Geography for Life: National Geography Standards 1994." The 18 standards for grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12 specify the essential knowledge, skills, and perspectives that students…

Describes the advantages of small, private middle schools in terms of academics, environment, citizenship, and teacher-student relationships. (WD)

In a learning community, everyone must participate in decision making. Involving students in developing classroom rules, solving community problems, and reviewing school and district policies has lasting benefits. Service learning, mentoring, and mediation programs help students develop civic responsibility, interpersonal competence, and…

Although increased attention to testing has resulted in improved guidelines for measuring skills and interpreting test results, educators are confused about certain testing problems and appropriate ameliorative strategies. Changing from multiple-choice formats to authentic performances will not reform education. Highly valuable outcomes such as…

Service learning is a versatile, developmentally appropriate strategy that integrates public service into student instruction and connects the classroom with the surrounding community and the world. Service learning promotes personal, social, and emotional growth; develops a sense of civic responsibility; provides leadership opportunities; and…