Examines officials' efforts to improve third-grade students' reading and language arts performances with newly developed curriculum guides and assessment. Interviews officials who developed guidelines/assessments on why they developed this material; how they informed teachers and administrators of their reform goals; and how practitioner should…

Examines changes in language department structure and program content at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Clemson University (South Carolina) as a result of new programs in Business French. The programs were developed in cooperation with the business schools to stem declining language enrollments. (MSE)

Describes a project guided by the resilience paradigm in which a team of 4 social workers and 17 prevention personnel collaborated on programs serving 2000 inner-city adolescents. The project team concluded that a modified consultation model is essential for implementing new techniques and that positive, supportive relationships are singularly…

Christchurch College of Education (New Zealand) offers a distance teacher education course to a rural Maori community experiencing a teacher shortage. Program success is attributed to local initiative in establishing the program, significant local input into program development, attention to the student profile in course design and delivery,…

Reports a cross-sectional study of second language communication among students in a junior high French late immersion program. Effects of language, sex, and grade on willingness to communicate (WTC), anxiety, perceived communication competence, and frequency of communication in French and on attitude/motivation variables are examined globally and…

This study examined the effects of an intervention program to improve the quality of daily interaction between six congenitally deaf-blind children and their 14 educators (teachers, caregivers, and mothers). With video analysis as the most important tool, the interaction coaches trained the educators to recognize the children's signals and attune…

A Scottish council commissioned a study to inform development of policy concerning ability grouping, timetabling, and other practices related to the transition from primary to secondary schooling. Although the researchers became aware that the council expected a report supportive of their policies, the data supported the view that the key to…

A participatory action research process was used to support an Aboriginal men's group in Queensland (Australia). Using a reflective approach, the men's group defined principles and values to which they aspired, then identified four strategies to enable them to become constructive members of the community: personal development, employment,…

Introduces this theme issue's articles, which provide a variety of frameworks for understanding and action in relation to the crisis in child and adolescent mental health. Further emphasizes the challenge to provide resources for all children and to provide ideas for the integration of information between education and mental health professionals.…

Describes the history and current issues of curriculum, instruction, and evaluation in elementary social studies. Emphasizes teaching for understanding and higher-order applications. Concludes that higher-order goals of social studies instruction are comparable to those in other subjects. (BB)

Describes two computer programs for chemistry: (1) "A Microcomputer Simulation of Fractal Electrodeposition" (provides for the study of fractal aggregrates, BASIC 4.0); and (2) "Counters on Grids" (a game to illustrate the distribution of energy). Notes the programs are available from the authors. (MVL)

Reviews the state of knowledge on adolescent sexual behavior in the following areas: (1) onset of sexual behavior as a function of cohort, gender, and ethnic differences; (2) biological, social, and cognitive processes underlying such behavior; (3) demographic trends in the use of contraceptives; (4) research problems; and (5) successful programs.…

Analyzes the challenges to implementation of the California Framework for History-Social Science Education. Compares the Framework's prescriptions with current practices and concludes that there are discrepancies. Suggests methods for preparing current practitioners and future teachers to carry out the Framework. (LS)

Discussion of the emergence of nontraditional doctoral pharmacy programs looks at three areas of particular concern: (1) faculty time required; (2) availability of physical and financial resources; and (3) assurance of program quality. Challenges to creating quality programs, development of standards, documentation of quality, treatment of prior…

Maintains that there is controversy in Russia about the need for courses in philosophy and science in music teacher preservice education. Describes the contents of a course titled, "The Principles of the Methodological Culture." Provides three results of the course, particularly relationships between cross-disciplinary planning and…