Current negative attitudes about the future of schools of education can be reversed if teacher educators reorganize, regroup, and rethink their position and change what they have historically been doing. The School of Education faculty at Radford University (Virginia) has undergone such a process and has: (1) assumed leadership in initiating…

The intent of women's studies, the academic arm of the women's movement, is to create critical space where the debate over power and the production of knowledge can occur through the argument that the exclusion of women from the knowledge base brings into question that which has passed for wisdom. A survey was designed to provide a descriptive…

The reactions of social studies educators to "A Nation at Risk," the report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education that examined the quality of education in the United States, are discussed. The survey was an informal one that asked educators, mainly teachers and professors, what their reactions were to the report in…

Perspectives on the context and results of the investigation conducted by the National Commission on Excellence in Education are presented. It is noted that the Commission's analysis sought to determine the extent to which colleges fail to set and maintain high standards, and the extent to which they fail to make their measures and benchmarks of…

Proposals for reform in teacher education from major organizations are reviewed, summarized, and compared in this document. Concise analyses are presented of: (1) The Need for Quality (Southern Regional Education Board, 1981); (2) "Educating a Profession: Profile of a Beginning Teacher" (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education…

This analysis of the changing balance in who controls the schools contends that local authorities have been slowly losing authority to the states. Moreover, within the local districts, the central offices are assuming more control in such matters as curriculum content and state testing programs. The paper begins with an overview of recent…

Beginning with the contention that the principal is the pivotal person in bringing about school improvement, this paper reviews several of the trends discussed in John Naisbitt's "Megatrends" and assesses their significance for public education in general and for the role of the principal in particular. These trends include (1) the shift…

According to a recent survey, school superintendents in Illinois generally favor the kinds of educational reforms being urged by national commissions on educational excellence. Over 100 superintendents from randomly selected elementary, secondary, and combined school districts in Illinois responded to the 104-item questionnaire. The survey sought…

The image and reputation of General College (GC) of the University of Minnesota was studied in 1981 through telephone interviews of 619 students, faculty, and counselors. Eighty-six percent of GC students, 87 percent of the university counselors, and 63 percent of high school counselors rated GC as very important. Seventy-seven percent of GC…

Survey results have suggested that, while teachers like to have test information available, most do not have great skill or consistency in interpreting test score data. Teachers who consider a certain type of test very valuable or useful are less likely to question the accuracy of the scores than are teachers who consider a test to be of little…

The high degree of autonomy college faculty members exercise in organizing and teaching courses suggests that faculty perceptions of educational purposes, subject matter structure and importance, and expectations for student learning are major determinants of educational success. Despite diversity and local autonomy present in its system, American…

Summary tables compare, item by item, the recommendations of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, the Twentieth Century Fund Task Force, and the Task Force on Education for Economic Growth. These recommendations propose reforms in most or all aspects of formal education, including curriculum, academic standards, instructional…

The purpose of this presentation is to investigate both the liberal arts tradition and the preparation of teachers in colleges and universities committed to following that tradition. Historically, liberal education has addressed itself to the task of determining and clarifying human needs and values. The major goal of education, as defined in this…

A research-oriented project to improve the effectiveness of undergraduate education at the state University of Antwerp, Belgium, is described, and the higher education system and conditions in Belgium are noted. Attention was focused on the outcome-based paradigm, according to which the primary goal of instruction is to ensure that all students…

This paper outlines Florida's efforts toward improving its present educational system through increased emphasis on essential learning outcomes. After an introductory section, which notes some of the legislative steps and planning activities undertaken in support of this goal, the paper outlines six conditions that Florida's postsecondary…