When "Academic Questions" editor Peter Wood asked the author to give some thought to the dispute between the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers (ALSCW), he thought he should say no. Well, what did the CFR report prepared by an independent task force chaired by Joel I. Klein,…

Contends that, although national system of testing is neither efficient nor valid as means of inspiring educational reform, certain principles can lead to effective uses of assessment at local and state levels. Suggests nine guidelines for school district staff, State Department of Education personnel, and policymakers to follow in comprehensively…

Examines the failure of secondary schools as reflected in the poor public opinion of school performance and the decline in students' test scores. Suggests that a more careful analysis be made of how students spend their time, with the objective of increasing the number of hours spent on learning tasks. (JP)

Focuses on the historical and sociolinguistic studies that illuminate corpus planning processes. These processes are broken down and discussed under two categories: those related to the establishment of norms, referred to as codification, and those related to the extension of the linguistic functions of language, referred to as elaboration. (60…

This opinion piece is drawn from experiences working with Texas educators and students, whose lives are now being more and more colored and shaped by an accountability system that is fast becoming the end rather than the means to better teaching and learning. [This document originally appeared in the "IDRA Newsletter", however some accompanying…

Discounts the idea that mass media are to blame for literacy problems among students, and explains how television merely reflects and reinforces the current state of literacy as it is produced, tested, and normed by the schools. Urges the use of expanded vocabulary in television script writing. (JP)

Presents a model to ascertain the "critical mass" in ratings points required to facilitate renewal of prime-time network programs aired between 1971 and 1985. Emphasizes a financial model incorporating revenue levels needed to offset program costs--advertising agency commissions, affiliate compensation, network overhead--and program…

A speech by the president of Senegal on the need for instruction in Parisian French in his country is used as the point of departure for a discussion of such standardization. The proposal for standardization is found idealistic, and the utility of the language taught is judged more important. (MSE)

Controversy over national testing programs for basic skills in Australia's elementary schools is discussed. The alternative suggested is to use those resources to improve local methods and skills in student assessment, depending more on the interest and abilities of those directly concerned with the students' learning. (MSE)

The development of a sound national physical education curriculum would enhance the image of the profession and allow educators to make measurable changes in students. This article outlines five steps toward development of a three part national curriculum which would include sports mastery, physical fitness, and academic coursework components.…

This book explores the history of American higher education through examination of the voluntary higher education associations organized during the turn of the century: the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations (AACES), the Association of American Colleges (AAC), The Association of American Universities (AAU), the…

Standard written English is defined by those in power as a classless and unchanging grapholect, a public idiom in worldwide use that is presently the unofficial official language. However, true standard English is not changeless, but represents a product in constant process, existing though there is conflict and variation within both the norm and…

Introduces special journal issue on policy-driven assessment in elementary and secondary schools by highlighting themes in the 13 articles in the issue and by posing questions related to new policies and testing practices that are being implemented in the schools. Also presents conjectures about state and national testing programs. (NB)

The paper examines co-occurrences of the major theme types with the various lateral verbs, as outlined in G. Kress and R. Hodge (1979), primarily unmarked/participant themes, other (non-participant) noun group themes, and marked themes. The data consist of 60 editorials from 2 major British newspapers, "The Times" and "The…

This paper is divided into two parts. The purpose of Part I is the review of some of the history of school average norms, beginning with Dr. E. F. Lindquist's call for such norms in 1948; the development of such norms for standardized achievement tests; current policies and practices regarding aggregated school data; and a presentation of norms…