Includes three brief essays responding to the current controversy over the National Standards for United States History. James F. Adomanis defends the standards and decries the media circus. Brian Boland casts a skeptical eye towards trendy educational reforms. Philip Reed Rulon finds the standards arbitrary and restrictive. (MJP)

Defends the history National Standards as an excellent and inclusive guide to the broad topics and themes appropriate to a U. S. history course. Nonetheless, characterizes the Standards as pedagogically conservative. Recommends an alternative approach emphasizing critical thinking and interdisciplinary instruction. (MJP)

Summarizes the recent changes in the highly centralized national geography curriculum in Japan. Prominent reforms include the implementation of environmental studies in the elementary schools and a broader emphasis, across the curriculum, on world geography. In teacher education, emphasis is now placed on teaching skills rather than subject…

By law, students with disabilities must have individualized education plans. Physical educators should get involved in making these plans. The paper discusses how they can get involved, how to deal with time constraints which make it difficult to attend teamings, and how to stay involved through open lines of communication. (SM)

Discussion of issues in the implementation of a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum at the University of Queensland (Australia) dental school looks at the role of the faculty member in PBL, good problem design, group learning processes, appropriate assessment approaches and techniques, the role of evaluation in improving instruction, student…

The history of distance education, traditionally a peripheral university activity, is chronicled, beginning with the advent of the British Open University and through developments in technology that are rapidly blurring the distinction between traditional and distance education. Distance-learning techniques are described that will change students'…

Outlines disparities in educational access, proposing reforms for equalizing opportunities to learn and examining social and economic challenges; reducing achievement gaps; inequality and achievement; the influence of funding on achievement (particularly among African American students); what matters in teaching (e.g., access to quality teaching,…

This issue contains data on trends and indicators of New England higher education, including demography, admissions, enrollment, degrees, educational attainment and income, student migration, retention and graduation, financing higher education, and university research and development. It also includes articles related to the data and on New…

Article describes a substance-abuse prevention program, Four-Fold Prevention, designed to specifically focus on four primary areas of social support-parents, schools, communities, and peers. This program enhances positive and supportive relationships among children and influencing adults and peers by opening the lines of communication about…

Reflects upon, and makes recommendations for, teaching young children to read, write, and spell. Focuses on meeting children's emotional needs, essential components of healthy emotional development, how reading is typically taught, and learning letters and phonics. Stresses the importance of paying equal attention to developmental ages and stages,…

Presents five fully developed library media activities that are designed for use with specific curriculum units in mathematics, physical education, reading and language arts, and social studies. Each activity identifies library media skills objectives, curriculum objectives, grade levels, resources, librarian and teacher instructional roles,…

Reform efforts to improve educational quality and outcomes in public schools in the last decade have focused on improving curricula and teaching methods, with outcomes being gauged by demonstration of improved math and reading scores. This article suggests that outcomes must be assessed for improved outcomes in mental health and classroom…

Provides an overview of the series of articles and an overview of the historical context of previous theory-based models for career guidance in schools. Argues that school to work is not an intellectual strategy but an economic and political strategy that needs to be examined carefully, especially in relation to students' career needs and…

Assesses the distribution of poverty areas in the United States relative to public library outlet locations to begin discussion on the best possible public library funding and development policies that would serve individuals in poverty areas. Provides a comparative analysis of poverty relative to public library outlets using two common methods of…

Provides six fully developed library media activities that are designed for use with specific curriculum units in guidance, health, mathematics, science, reading, language arts, and social studies. Library media skills, curriculum objectives, grade levels, resources, instructional roles, procedures, evaluation, and follow-up are described for each…