Faculty teaching in prison educational programs often find the students to be genuinely interested, creative thinkers, and colleges sometimes help in the prisoners' transition between prison and the outside world after release. (MSE)

Attempts to explain why, despite its importance and expensiveness, education is generally neglected in the American press. Suggests that a major reason might be a lack of reliable outcome measures in education, which limits the amount of "hard" educational news. (KH)

Working with unemployed youth with negative attitudes toward learning, a community educator applied Freire's methods to lead them through reflection on their circumstances and participation in a dialog on learning in which their own words would be heard. (SK)

Describes the cultural origins of East Asian educational values and practices, contrasting characteristics of East Asian and Western education; arguing that differences in cultural values carry over into educational values, policies, and practices; and cautioning that with the current global diffusion of educational policies, it is important to…

Notes the rapid rise of social sciences within universities of Brazil during the 1960s and 1970s. Identifies the interrelationships among the social sciences in Brazilian universities and their involvement with political developments. (JDH)

The Goal 1 Technical Planning Subgroup proposed an early childhood assessment system that involved assessment of children before they entered kindergarten, at the time of entrance into kindergarten, and during the kindergarten year. The report that contained the proposal, and requests for feedback, were disseminated to nearly 1,000 individuals and…

Discusses the importance of including measures of educational orientations and beliefs in the criteria for teacher certification but stresses the need for more research and refinement of such technical measures. (GC)

China's national leadership is committed to a vast upgrading of education, and the pervasive spirit of reform in economics and politics is leading to higher expectations of higher education. Reforms are targeted in the system's structure, deemphasis on specialization, new emphasis on applied science, and faculty qualifications and productivity.…

Compares values and behavioral patterns common to many traditional Native American societies (particularly of the high plains) with those of the dominant American culture. Contrasts attitudes toward religion and spirituality, family, children, older persons, learning, definition of self, social interaction, competition, material possessions,…

Interviews children and adults living in rural areas in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India regarding education, revealing individuals' hopes and dreams against a backdrop of severe class, caste, and gender stratification. Examines the promise of schooling and literacy in India, the relationship of schooling and literacy to work, and of…

This report describes a study on the characteristics, economic achievement, and educational status of dropouts who left selected Wisconsin high schools in 1967-68, 1972-73, and 1975-76. The report discusses the background and objectives of the study, the research methods used, survey findings, and conclusions. Among the findings are that (1) more…

A study compared the attitudes of a group of about 60 elderly rest home residents and about 120 members of two different clubs for older adults in New Zealand. The five 1-hour discussions that were held with the adults indicated a consistent difference between the opinions expressed by the rest home clients and those of the club members, all of…

Documenting a cumulative attack on the freedom to learn, which strikes at the heart of public education, this report describes how censorship has grown since 1982, highlighting trends that have emerged over five years, the actors, the challenges, and the results. Following an introduction, the report documents the state of censorship for…

Labor unions hold a somewhat different view of "workplace literacy" efforts than company management often does. Unions believe that workplace literacy programs should be voluntary and involve more that just "work" skills. As in union education of the past, union programs focus on education of the whole worker for life, not just for work. Unions…

Examines reasons why lower-class Blacks largely remain the urban underclass. Looks at factors such as inferior education, Black perception of of the "job ceiling" and belief that application to study will not pay off, and the conflict-ridden relationship between Blacks and the schools. (ML)