Developments during the decade and a half following the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe indicate broad advancement in civic education for democracy. This digest notes the rising trend in civic education competency in Central and Eastern Europe, describes an increasingly accepted and used framework for civic education, and…

Discusses four topics and themes--integrated language activities, individualism, literature, and writing--that appeared most frequently this year in the documents and articles indexed by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills. (MM)

Reports on current trends in reading education, changes in the type of research being reported, and comments on the top requests for information made to the ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills. (MG)

Development of numerous materials projects and programs is a continuing characteristics of environmental education. Most have been modest, local in scope, and short-lived. But in recent years many have become more ambitious, substantive, and sophisticated, more effectively designed and better positioned to make significant educational impacts on…

Presented are the formal presentation and edited comments from the 1981 Statesmen's Roundtable focusing on professional accountability in special education. The author's presentation addresses some of the assumptions made about special education, and the role of The Council for Exceptional Children regarding evaluation and accountability. Among…

The digest excerpts major points of the report of the Council for Exceptional Children's Ad Hoc Committee to Study and Respond to the 1983 Report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education. The committee also examined the reports of the Education Commission of the States, the Twentieth Century Fund, and the Carnegie Council. General…

Explores a few of the trends contributing to the apparent decline in substantive literature instruction and suggests some teaching methods that can help restore the human element to literature. (HOD)

This monograph consists of a paper outlining current trends in education and discussing issues related to the dissemination of knowledge, and a selected ERIC bibliography on this subject. Trends highlighted in the paper include: (1) the expansion of information; (2) the increasing pace of specialization; (3) the tendency of groups interested in…

An overview is provided, examining the types of associate degrees that are awarded, the number that are awarded, the students who receive them, and the problems related to associate degree curricula. First, a list is provided of the different types of associate degrees awarded, followed by an enumeration of the vocational and non-vocational…

This document begins with an overview of trends and issues in the area of adult literacy. This overview briefly addresses: the number of adult illiterates, the costs of adult illiteracy, adult illiteracy as a barrier to increasing U.S. competitiveness, efforts that have focused on adult illiteracy, the issues that have surfaced, and…

This article looks at a rapidly growing form of distance education: virtual schools. Also known as cyber schools, these Internet-based programs enroll fewer than 50,000 students nationwide, but more and more companies are entering this market. Some examples of these virtual schools are the Willoway CyberSchool, which was founded by a former…

The third in a series of reports on the educational applications of computers. Focuses on ERIC materials that can help educators learn more about the graphic capabilities of CRTs. (FL)

Since the 1920s, the focus of adult education has shifted from social change to professionalization to an emphasis on literacy and lifelong learning in a changing workplace. The adult education literature reflects ongoing debate over whether adult education should focus primarily on individuals or society and whether it should serve as a means of…

Calculus has become the center of a heated debate within the mathematics community. There are those who question the very centrality of calculus in the mathematics curriculum. Evidence indicates that many current calculus courses are not serving students well. In addition, computers and advanced calculators can now do many of the manipulations…

This two-volume annual report is the first in a series of reports summarizing the activities and accomplishments of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) program. The second volume discusses trends and issues in the areas of education covered by each of the clearinghouses. These discussions focus on critical research findings and…