This publication contains six selected papers from the 30th Anniversary Meeting of the University Council for Educational Administrators (UCEA) in the fall of 1987. The first article, by John A. Thompson discusses problems associated with implementing the agenda of the Holmes Group report in decentralizing the control of schools. Leslie, Snyder,…

This study found no differences in the performance of middle class black and white children on three ability measures. The sample consisted of 15 pairs of black and white middle class children, aged 2.5 to 6.5 years, who attended the same mid-south child development center during 1987-88. Variables on which the children were match-paired were the…

This paper examines trends that are currently reshaping rural America and rural education. It reviews the debate about how best to improve rural school districts, suggesting that what is needed is a better understanding of the changing context in which this country's public school enterprise is taking place. The paper begins by reviewing the work…

In this report, the mathematics and science proficiency of students in third, seventh, and eleventh grades in Catholic schools was compared to the national average of the 1985-86 National Assessment of Mathematics and Science. The introduction describes the differences in reading/writing and mathematics/science that the National Assessment of…

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential impact of maternal attributions and self-attributions on the academic achievement of father-absent children in comparison to commonly identified family interaction and demographic variables. Subjects included 33 male and 34 female father-absent sixth graders (mean age of 11.6 years) and their…

This study examines patterns of service utilization among Hispanics, Whites, and Blacks living in the South Bronx, New York City. Surveyed were 381 respondents on their use of the following types of services: (1) mental health services; (2) services for female heads of families; (3) services for disabled persons; and (4) services for elderly…

This paper describes classroom activities developed around constructivist learning theories (that is, students are always learning because they are constantly constructing their own personal meanings and reflecting on them) as they are applied to English as a Second Language and remedial English students in a secondary classroom dominated by…

In 1987, the administration of North Carolina Competency Tests to public school sophomores resulted in 94.4% passing the reading test and 90.6% passing the mathematics test. Rates were similar to rates for the 1986 sophomores, but were higher than rates for juniors in the 1978-1983 period. The 1987 passing rate in mathematics was lower than for…

Participation in education in Australia is reported, with attention to: completion of year 12; postsecondary education; technical and further education (TAFE); apprenticeships; higher education; universities; Colleges of Advanced Education (CAEs); and degree programs. Data from two national probability samples of young people 4 years apart in age…

Due largely to outmigration of young people, the nonmetropolitan United States has a lower proportion of people in the prime working ages of 20-44 than do metropolitan areas. Discouraged workers and high levels of work-preventing disabilities have contributed to lower rates of nonmetropolitan labor force participation for each age group between 20…

The study of consciousness requires a language for exact and precise communication. This research project investigated how workers from different cultural contexts value information that is relevant to their job performance. Thirty-five randomly selected mechanics, from Sweden, England, West Germany, Italy, and the United States, were selected as…

This paper discusses the changes in social processes and corresponding changes in education as a result of the presence of post-war, non-Anglo-Celtic immigrants in Australia. This is followed by analyses of recent reports which have influenced policy, and the paper concludes with identification of research needs in the light of recent research…

In the spring of 1985, the Oregon Department of Education conducted an assessment of eighth grade students' skills in writing, reading, and mathematics. This report provides results for the mathematics portion of the assessment under these headings: (1) arithmetic skills; (2) estimation; (3) geometry and measurement; (4) application; (5)…

This book analyzes the ways in which majority and minority interests interact in the educational system. It begins with an examination of the excellence movement in American education, and then discusses an alternative approach through which, by emphasizing adequacy rather than insisting on excellence as an institutional requirement, minority…

Education students planning to teach in rural areas need, but do not receive, specialized training. Among differences encountered by rural teachers are professional isolation and limited inservice training; assignment to more subjects, more grade levels, and more extracurricular activities; lower budgets and salaries; inadequate materials; less…