Frustrated by the ways in which large managed-care companies are controlling physicians' lives and professional practice, the American Medical Association has voted to form a union to represent physicians and medical residents. Academic physicians have shown less interest than others. (MSE)

Suggests that the introduction of corporate management ideals signals profound changes in the way public authorities understand academic activity and discusses the impact of these changes on institutional autonomy and academic freedom. Examines these changes from the perspective of a Norwegian university, focusing particularly on normative ideals…

To bring students up to internationally benchmarked standards, high schools must abandon the ineffective general curriculum and focus resources on a narrower, academic curriculum. Professional and vocational education should be provided in postsecondary settings after students receive certificates of initial mastery. A 12-point school redesign…

Examines differences among 29 developed nations in educational differentiation and sorting of students for specialized curricula. Compares countries with differentiated and nondifferentiated education systems with respect to costs per pupil and the scores of students in grades 7-8 on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).…

Using a question-and-answer format, this research digest discusses using cluster grouping in regular classes to teach gifted students. The learning needs of gifted students, benefits of cluster grouping, the effects on peers, identification of students for the cluster group, and specific skills that are needed by cluster teachers are addressed.…

Collaboration between a public affairs faculty member and an instructional developer resulted in design of a learner-centered large lecture course. Evaluation after three years revealed which elements of the course format generated the most student interest and, in some cases, changed attitudes about learning in college. Suggestions are made for…

From 1964 to 1971, Saskatchewan's Thatcher government pursued a policy of providing Metis and Indian job placements, supported by job training and housing in urban relocation centers. Based on economic integration of individuals into mainstream society, the government's plan appeared insufferably paternalistic as increasingly militant Metis…

Reviews developmental psychology literature for its relevance for designing organizations for children and youth followed by a review of theories on the development of children's identity, social understanding, and capacity to participate. The reviews summarize what is being said about the values of youth participation in community organizations…

Describes an active participation exercise that demonstrates the propagation of action potentials (the ability to transmit information through the neural network, dependent upon chemical interactions in the brain). Students assume the structure and function of the network by lining up around the room and communicating through hand signals and…

Discusses the shift in function of PICs (Private Industry Councils) from overseeing training programs for unemployed workers to developing the skills of the entire work force in local communities. Analyzes the relationship between community colleges and Private Industry Councils. (JDI)

Discusses the transferring of Medicaid recipients to managed care in Oregon and the effects on physical therapy and occupational therapy services for children with disabilities. Describes a process that balances fiscally responsible utilization of therapy resources with advocacy for appropriate therapy services. Guidelines for services are…

Examined relationships between families and staff from community agencies in a poor urban neighborhood, investigating how they affected urban educational restructuring efforts that encouraged family-school-community collaboration. Findings indicated that these relationships often rested on inherent inequalities stemming from conditions that placed…

The president of one campus of the newly decentralized, multicampus Houston Community College System (Texas) found herself immediately facing many problems of reorganization, including making program decisions, finding necessary resources, and developing essential community support. The role of the president that developed during this process was…

Organizational changes in Danish higher education following 1993 legislation are examined. The new law delegates more power from the state to the universities, but is also more traditional in that it changes collective decision structures to a more authoritarian model. Problems and unforeseen complexities created by this situation in a…

The approach used by the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) in designing a campus-wide information architecture and a framework for reengineering the business process included building consensus on a general philosophy for information systems, using pattern-based abstraction techniques, applying data modeling and application prototyping, and…