The interaction of a university and the society is described in a case study of the system of public examinations of Melbourne University in Victoria (Australia). The initial desire to guarantee the academic standards of college entrants grew into a system that also provided school leaving certificates for those not entering the university. Over a…

In January 1992, the National Council on Education Standards and Testing (NCEST) issued a report "Raising Standards for American Education," which called for the establishment of a national system of educational standards and assessments as a basis for comprehensive reform of U.S. education. This statement is a facsimile of the written…

This paper provides an overview of the demographic characteristics of students in special education, outcomes associated with their schooling, and the nature of special education programs and services. Three issues relevant to the impact of standards and assessment on special education are then discussed: (1) regular education should assume…

This paper discusses the development and theoretical premises of the Expert Science Teaching Evaluation Model (ESTEEM) as well as research into this model from 1990 through 1993. ESTEEM was developed under the aegis of the Center for Research on Educational Accountability and Teacher Evaluation (CREATE) with major goals of defining expert science…

Chapter 1 is a federal assistance program that provides supplementary financial aid to public school districts, attempting to improve the educational opportunities of educationally deprived children residing in high poverty areas. The program assists qualified students in both public and private schools. This brochure answers questions that…

Race and ethnicity can be forces for change. Increased attention to ethnicity issues in continuing and higher education in Great Britain would lead to changes in the structure and content of continuing education. Continuing education itself would then serve as a change agent across the university system by providing an antiracist model for other…

Articles presented include: "Introducing the New Literacy" (John Willinsky); "The Emergence of Literacy" (Nigel Hall); "Media Education: The Limits of a Discourse" (David Buckingham); "Extracts from 'Thought and Language' and 'Mind in Society'" (L. S. Vygotsky); "From Communicating to Talking" (Jerome Bruner); "What Does It Mean To Be Bilingual?"…

Progress made by southern states in meeting the need for quality in education is described, and priorities for further actions are identified. In 1981 the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) offered 25 recommendations to move the South beyond minimum levels toward quality education. Major progress was made with regard to the following:…

This special report on the assessment of French immersion students in Alberta focuses on critical issues and methodological problems with testing methods. After an introduction, the second section gives an overview of these issues and problems. Issues discussed include the following: whether students instructed in French immersion programs should…

In 1990, a survey of full-time faculty and staff was conducted at Catonsville Community College (CCC) in Maryland to assess perceptions of the college's climate, academic practices, curriculum, faculty, academic and student support services, and facilities. The "Seven Principles for Good Practices in Undergraduate Teaching" instrument was…

A one-page introduction is followed by three pages containing summaries of three journal articles and two documents on teacher selection. Mary Cihak Jensen argues that final selection decisions should be based on multiple information sources, since teaching requires proficiency in many interrelated skills. Superintendent Richard J. Caliendo…

A project was implemented at Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) in Florence, South Carolina to develop a retention plan for high-risk and probationary students. The project involved the following components: a literature review on retention strategies, visits to state-of-the-art model two-year college retention programs, studies of…

For the first time, a state has developed standards for noncredit continuing education. The model developed by the state of Ohio measures achievement in terms of goals and objectives rather than in terms of fixed characteristics. It also emphasized institutional self-study and self-assessment. The standards are intended to enable noncredit…

Maine law allows parents to arrange with local school boards to have their children educated outside a public or private school, if the student will receive "equivalent instruction." If the proposed program of instruction is "equivalent" within the meaning of the law, it must be approved by local school officials. Parents are…

Innovative programs at Utah community and technical colleges are described and other topics of interest to faculty, staff, and administrators are addressed in this collection of articles. The journal contains the following articles by Utah two-year college faculty members: (1) "Open Access and Academic Excellence at Dixie College," by…