Our nation's educational system has scored many extraordinary successes in raising the level of reading and writing skills in younger children. Yet the pace of literacy improvement in our schools has not kept up with the accelerating demands of the global knowledge economy. In state after state, the testing data mandated by No Child Left Behind…

In elementary schools today, most students receive their education in a single classroom from one teacher who is responsible for teaching language arts, social studies, math, and science. The self-contained classroom organization is predicated on the assumption that an elementary school teacher is a Jack (or Jill)-of-all-trades who is equally…

Many areas of investing have become so specialized and complex that they need to be addressed by a special effort. Chief financial officers must evaluate whether that effort can be delivered by internal staff or whether an outside contractor is appropriate. Diagnostic questions for making that determination are offered. (MSE)

Twenty-one endowed chairs of nursing are listed, including information about the schools where they are placed, year of initial endowment, funding level, specific content area or focus, and the name of the chair. (MSE)

This reprinted 1970 article looks at the role of the university or college administrator, compares it to corporate administration and specialization, notes the importance of risking failure, and stresses the importance of being able to motivate others. (DB)

Colleges can improve their chances of hiring an appropriate consultant by knowing what they wish to accomplish; knowing what results to expect; identifying possible consultants; choosing an individual with expertise in the primary area of concern; arranging and understanding the consultant's presentation; and remaining flexible during the…

A survey of the statistical topics offered to pharmacy students and of the frequency of use of statistical methods in eight pharmacy journals suggests that with increasingly sophisticated statistical methods and increased dependency on literature over experience, pharmacy schools should upgrade students' statistical literacy. (MSE)

Resources pertinent to teaching assistants at colleges are identified. The listing includes general books on teaching, handbooks designed for the TA, discipline-centered materials, videotapes and other materials for use in workshops, and organizations that can provide workshops and other opportunities to contact resource persons. (Author/SW)

A longitudinal study of students (n=70) entering Dartmouth Medical School (New Hampshire) in 1984 found attitudes toward family practice initially positive and improving. However, of 25 indicating early interest in family medicine, only 6 chose a related residency. Student concerns about the specialty's demands are seen as a possible factor.…

This review of the positive and negative impact of centralization of library collections and services on library staff and quality of services focuses on reference services. The move from decentralized to centralized library services at Louisiana State University is discussed as well as the effect of automation on that configuration. (Author/CLB)

A pediatric optometry clinic teaches students how to provide appropriate services for school-aged children who present, because of reduced visual acuity, unstable binocularity and perceptual skill disorders, and teaches about half the students the fundamentals of care of preschool children and strabismics. (Author/MSE)

In three decades, the osteopathic profession has moved from primarily manipulative therapy to full-service health care, replacing primary care emphasis with specialization. The profession should return to its original mission of primary care, establish links with allopathic medicine, and support new national policy for primary health care.…

In fall 1989, 88 doctoral programs in higher education offered 124 different courses, a body of knowledge that offers great potential for improving and professionalizing higher education administration. The field appears to be evolving from a generalized area of inquiry into a curriculum of professional specialization. (Author/MSE)

The literature urges business schools to change their undergraduate curricula in response to changes in the models and methods currently used by corporate America. Critics contend that business schools should place more emphasis on teamwork and integrative models. Business schools are urged to "break down the silos" between functional subjects by…

One reason medical students favor specialization over generalist medicine (primary care) is a perception of generalist medicine as nonrigorous. Chaos science, a new field, reveals an intellectual basis for generalist medicine. The history, strengths, and limits of reductionist thinking in medicine and aspects of chaos theory illuminate this…