A survey was conducted of schools in 15 states to provide a comprehensive view of the status of speech communication in secondary schools and to compare the current status to that found in earlier surveys. Of the 4,341 schools responding to the survey, 76% indicated that they offered a speech course and of these, 32% indicated that they required…

This booklet contains guidelines for developing oral communication curricula in kindergarten through 12th grade. The booklet addresses the issue of whether students are being taught to communicate effectively, and discusses the following topics: enhancing the role of oral communication in elementary and secondary education; the objective,…

Several things should be taken into account when establishing an internship program in speech communication at the college level. Internships begin by being either agency generated or student generated. Objectives of the program include understanding, developing, and applying communication skills necessary for effective performance within an…

Offers a composite picture of the typical junior high school speech programs in two Ohio suburban school systems. (MH)

Observing that speech communication, by whatever term it is called, is now a popular major among the traditional liberal arts, this paper proposes an essential speech communication curriculum for the small, comprehensive college. The first part of the paper presents a rationale for the curriculum by exploring how the curriculum reflects (1) its…

A small college's communication arts curriculum, designed for students either going on to graduate school or interested in meeting more immediate vocational needs, is described in this paper. The following components of the curriculum are discussed: (1) use of field experience courses, (2) use of on-campus "practicum" courses and extra-curricular…

This paper argues that quality pre-law communication programs must be developed through an organized sustained effort in the speech communication field. The development of a pre-legal communication program is discussed in terms of three interrelated states: (1) the development of a specific academic program within the speech communication…

This paper considers three issues related to the philosophical struggle between journalism and speech communication departments in developing a public relations curriculum. The three issues are as follows: (1) the definition of public relations, with an emphasis on persuasion; (2) the design of a public relations curriculum, using the one at…

The small college communication curriculum must, by necessity, be more limited than that of the university. However, it can still fulfill the needs of its students while responding to external curriculum requirements, such as those of the institution, accrediting agencies, professional societies, and employers. Two approaches to curriculum…

Most speech communication curricula have room for only three organizational courses: (1) business and professional speech communication (B and P), usually offered to freshmen and sophomores; (2) an introduction to organizational communication, presented to sophomores and upper-class students; and (3) a seminar in organizational communication, for…

The rationale and procedures for assessing students' oral communication skills at Alverno College (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) are outlined in this paper. Since the curriculum at Alverno emphasizes ongoing performance assessment as an integral part of the learning process and as an effective measurement of educational progress, the discussion focuses on…

When designing a contemporary curriculum in communication, it is important to adapt the specific set of skills and knowledge to the needs of the marketplace. The change in the transformation from speech to communication to communication/information technology is reflected in the various names of university departments. Schools that have changed…

A university level course in political communication can strive not only to teach the applicable communication and political theory involved, but also to provide "hands on" experience through the use of a simulated election campaign model. The model would include (1) data on the candidates involved; (2) information on the district…

Called a response draft, this curriculum guide provides practitioners with further opportunity to examine and discuss adult learning in English and communications before the guidelines are adopted throughout British Columbia. The guide's three specific purposes are to (1) define a common curriculum goal and an array of learning objectives for…