The Welsh approach to comparing educational standards and occupational qualifications is described. The approach identifies a core of occupational competencies and skills underlying training and employment in the field of electrical and electronic engineering, particularly in the motor industry. Origins, economic and educational context, and…

Discusses the role of the courts in educational policymaking and educational quality improvement. It examines the courts' success in using state constitutions to mandate educational policy, the influence of the Goals 2000 initiative in school financing, the factors attributed to the state's increased legal exposure, and the court's impact in…

This memo outlines priorities of the Council for Exceptional Children in accomplishing its mission. Priorities include increasing membership, retaining a higher percentage of current members, promoting education standards, improving professional education offerings, and influencing public policy. (JDD)

Corruption in college athletics requires immediate attention through monitoring and publication of student-athletes' academic records. Privacy can be protected three ways: modification of federal law concerning student records; implementing voluntary disclosure; and exposing exploitation of African-American student athletes by examining their…

It is argued that the modification of the Nedelsky procedure proposed by L. J. Gross is a valid approach to setting standards when clinical reasoning is measured using multiple-choice questions. An example from the Medical Council of Canada's Qualifying Examination for approximately 2,400 examinees demonstrates the procedure's value. (SLD)

National Collegiate Athletic Association rules changes address recruiting practices, services provided to athletes, expenditures, coaching limitations, coach certification, playing season and practice limitations, scheduling, association membership, amateurism, academic standards, financial aid, and championship competition. (MSE)

This paper notes conflicts among England's education laws and discusses philosophical and practical weaknesses of the National Curriculum for serving students with special needs. European practices are described, and it is concluded that establishing central control can actually discourage curriculum differentiation and encourage the exclusion…

Presents an interview with Richard Kunkel, Executive Director of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) from 1984-90 (a time when NCATE was undergoing a major change). Kunkel discusses the impact of accreditation and the NCATE redesign on the improvement of the teaching profession. (SM)

Examines factors contributing to increasing acceptance of and dependence on state and local educational testing. Factors examined include the accountability movement, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, National Assessment of Educational Progress, growth in statewide and local assessment, and minimum competency testing. (SM)

Although inclusiveness is the U.S. school system's strongest feature, more is seldom better. This article recommends raising standards and expectations, focusing on outcomes, stressing effort over ability and teacher competence over seniority, individualizing instruction, breaking the age/grade link, expanding year-round learning and early…

Since the U.S. has no strong centralized educational program, the drive for systemic change is proceeding more slowly and unsystematically than in Japan or France. Systemic reform strategies must emphasize building schools' capacity for self-renewal. Getting from uniformly high standards to diverse delivery systems is the challenge. Marshall…

A study compared the performance of six cohorts of family physicians (711 practice-qualified physicians certified in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1,233 residency-trained physicians certified in 1977, 1978, 1979) recertified in 1977-1991. Results indicate declines in performance on each recertification examination and better performance by…

This position paper generates consensus regarding the contribution of the social foundations of education (SFE) to effective teaching. The paper distinguishes the meanings of SFE from those of foundations of education, states the contributions of SFE instruction in teacher education programs, and proposes relevant content and processes of study.…

Research in the area of grade adjustment methods from the last 27 years is reviewed in the context of admissions selection and of prediction of student performance in college. Contemporary grade adjustment methods can often produce indexes of academic performance with greater reliability than that found with grade point average. (SLD)

Outlines the functional standards for didactic and clinical optometric education adopted by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, including specific abilities in the areas of: observation; communication; sensory and motor coordination; intellectual-conceptual, integrative, and quantitative skills; and behavioral and social…