Proposes that quality programs of public education be generated with primary responsibility and leadership provided by state boards of education, state superintendents, and state departments of education. Education is regarded as a state function in most states and it is time state boards of education assume responsibility for program development,…

Examines what types of liberating understandings or competencies that political science, particularly the introductory courses, can give the general education student who will not major in the discipline. (Author/RK)

Author argues that governing boards and school administrations must be culturally sensitive, or surround themselves with those who are, in order to create the best learning environments possible under which children can maintain their own identity. (Author/RK)

Argues that in an age of frugality, schools might achieve more by settling for less. (Editor)

Identifies a rhetoric of public theology that is specifically targeted for mass audiences in an attempt to influence religious and secular publics on public policy. Argues that such a rhetoric differs markedly from that of civil religion and displays three characteristics: expedient simplicity, existential content, and action rituals. (JD)

Presents results of a study on the effects of topic selection on holistic scoring, which supported the idea that topic effects are reflected in student writing and influence student scores. (JC)

Presents results of a survey that suggests that high school journalism courses help students gain language arts skills better than required or elective English courses. (JC)

Two experiments examined the role that college students' verbal aptitude and evaluation anxiety play in the production of persuasive letters. Results showed that verbal aptitude should be considered when predicting the quality of students writing. Taking writing anxiety into account did not increase the predictive power of verbal aptitude scores.…

Tyrone Crider, the director of admissions at Central State University speaks to black high-school students about the importance of succeeding in school and in life. He uses the Top 20 songs for inspiration, giving a traditional educational message in a non-traditional way. (MLW)

Discusses five noun-related sentence level difficulties that first-year law students have in constructing feasible arguments for the courtroom. (MS)

Reviews the major elements of short fiction to suggest the primacy of voice in creative writing, and recommends approaches for helping students develop voice in their writing. (NKA)

Draws from the work of J. Kinneavy to identify text superstructures that are considered organizational patterns within larger structures: literary, expository, persuasive, and expressive writing. (HOD)

Reviews arguments for, but questions the validity of, the "information society" and presents a personal view of communication which includes six "laws" (e.g., communication usually fails, except by chance) and a situational model (same messages and communications may create different effects in different communication…

Recounts the gratifications of being a debate coach, which include seeing the progress of students, the increased personal contact with students, and the interesting uses of the training. (EL)

Tracks bargaining interaction and the development of arguments between school administrators and teachers (on the issue of teachers' files and evaluations) through sequential sessions and caucus meetings. Examines similarities and differences in the reasoning process on subissues that are dropped, modified, or retained in the final argument. (PD)