This handbook describes ways that families, schools, and child-care centers can work together to achieve Vermont's state goals for early childhood education. The following topics are presented: (1) the goals and principles guiding Vermont's early education program; (2) the role of kindergarten in a child's educational career; (3) the need to shift…

This book discusses PCRP II, an integrative framework for language and literacy which teachers and administrators can use to examine, and when appropriate, to improve school and classroom practice in language use across the curriculum. Chapter 1 offers an introduction and summary. Chapter 2, "Perspectives on Theory and Practice,"…

This document summarizes the literature on the causes of dropping out, reviews national dropout prevention initiatives, proposes a set of principles to guide dropout prevention programs, and recommends a framework of policies for the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Public Schools. The dropout literature indicates that dropping out is a developmental…

This paper reflects on how the differences that surface in a program can be effectively mediated by the design of the curriculum, i.e., how an integrated curriculum combined with a collegial teaching cohort can foster enhanced quality in teacher preparation and can reconcile differences in the philosophical orientation of faculty. The example of…

It is clear that there is a new consensus in this country supporting teaching about religion and religious liberty in public schools. For too long educators have misunderstood the distinction between teaching religion, which is unconstitutional, and teaching about religion, which is not only constitutional, but necessary for a sound education.…

As a result of social and economic trends of the past decade, public schools in industrialized nations now face severe political problems, manifested by declines in enrollment, budget, public confidence, and legitimacy of administrative authority. As a consequence, a fundamental reassessment of educational policy and management is underway in many…

A mission statement, properly constructed, empowers everyone in a school to assume responsibility for the school's ultimate direction. This document is accordingly designed to help middle level schools begin to develop such a mission statement. Parts 1 and 2 define a mission statement and discuss the confusion that is likely to occur in its…

This 2-year study, which took a multidisciplinary approach to the problem of discovering principles for designing effective multimedia instruction, focused on the effects on instructional effectiveness of the discourse structure of instructional materials and the coordination of multiple instructional media. The task domain was a logic box said to…

This paper presents a set of arguments in support of maintaining a cabinet-level Department of Education. It first traces the history of the federal role in education, which was established early in the history of the United States and has evolved over the decades through a series of specific responses to the nation's educational needs. It has…

Guidelines for effectively teaching minority students, Grades K-6, are presented in this manual, which is divided into six sections. Each section presents a different teaching principle, explains the rationale behind it, and provides a list of suggestions and/or comments from teachers. The six principles are: (1) Every child can learn if you have…

Three interrelated pedagogical elements--approach, design, and procedure--are basic in a discussion of language teaching. Approach defines those foundational assumptions, beliefs, and theories about the nature of language and language learning. Design specifies the relationships of theories to both the form and use of instructional materials.…

Twelve essays examine the relationship between knowledge and human values and the implications of this relationship for education, particularly at the university level. Authored by professors of philosophy, intellectual history, theoretical physics, Judaic studies, political theory, social ethics and religion, the essays call for a new approach…

The linkage between formal education and the development efforts of third world nations is examined. Consideration is given to the fields in which education may be most helpful, such as social, political, and cultural. The extent to which the development of education itself is a part of the total national development effort is also discussed. A…

Offers an analysis of the various national reports on education issued between 1983 and 1986. Argues that as a group, the reports are as much political as they are educational documents. Contends that the recommendations of the reports are built upon a vision of the future economy that is wrong and that the educational solutions offered are…

This article contains eight principles for teaching the adult beginning reader. Each principle is based on classical, established, or new research and learning theory related to the adult reader. With each principle, a brief rationale for its development is presented and practical instructional strategies are indicated. (Author/CH)