The connection between knowing the right or good thing to do, and then actually doing it has long been a puzzle. "Watch what we do, not what we say" goes beyond the revealing admission of a former Attorney General of the United States to the broader reality of human behavior. Parents, teachers, employers, religious educators, and society…

This report describes how results from the Austin Independent School District (AISD) Student Climate Survey are related to academic achievement in AISD.

Maintains that western civilization's emphasis on dualistic thinking combined with a tendency to favor the cerebral/rational over the physical/emotional has resulted in music education stressing theory over the experiential pleasure of music. Synthesizes a number of influences into a more balanced set of universal principles for music education.…

Provides strategies for school-level personnel to take an active role in improving how their facility functions in the education process. Includes advice on seeking a role in facilities design, encouraging the district to use facilities management tools, considering the unusual, and championing the cause of better school facilities. (SD)

Provides examples of middle school facilities design considerations for both new and remodeled buildings. Argues that the planning process is critical and offers advice including developing and reviewing the philosophy, selecting planning participants, conducting a Futures Workshop, beginning the process, planning at the microlevel, research, and…

Argues that many of the colonial religious and political leaders received their advanced schooling in small academies created and run by schoolmasters trained in Ireland and Scotland. Traces the dissemination of Scots-Irish Enlightenment ideas from these academies through their counterparts in colonial America. (MJP)

Reports on a sociological research project that explored how a new generation of teachers in Greece, Spain, Portugal, England, and Wales understood the concept of citizenship and how gender relates to it. The data suggests that specific gender and cultural groups may posses their own notions of citizenship. (MJP)

In humanities and social sciences, completion of a doctoral degree, especially dissertation writing, can be enhanced if students work in a collaborative environment, are not isolated in their work, interact with advisors frequently, have information about academic publishing, and have a suitable financial aid package. The University of California…

Profiles the Community of Caring, a character education program in California that has been in existence for 12 years. Explicates some of the qualities that mark the program as a success. These include longevity, acceptability, comprehensiveness, evaluation, academic improvement, cost-effectiveness, family/community involvement, and professional…

Examines the learning benefits of a learner-as-designer environment simulating a real-world multimedia production house and its impact on at-risk high school students. Students showed a significant growth in their value of intrinsic goals and achieved several critical design skills. The experience provided many students, who could not otherwise…

This article discusses "difficult discourse" or the psychological and sociological difficulties that arise in the conflict of language, ideology, and cultural identity occurring between students/families who are limited English proficient (LEP) and the American mainstream education system. A case example of a fifth-grade Asian student is provided…

Argues that the school community must create and adhere to policies and practices that respect and support positive peer relationships. Urges promoting a respect for diversity in terms of individuals, as well as providing opportunities for peer affiliation on activity-based and interest-based levels to promote pluralism. (SD)

Reviews the research on access to and persistence within higher education among women, minorities, older, and part-time students. Discovers that, although participation among these groups has risen dramatically since 1960, enrollment among blacks and Latinos dropped during the 1980s. Discusses causes and implications of these developments. (MJP)

Praises self-directed English field research projects for being intellectually challenging, highly motivating, and demonstrating a wide range of skills. Recently, however, these projects have resulted in a number of problems including allocation of resources and safety liability. Suggests possible solutions and examines a model field research…

To successfully implement in the United Arab Emirates the generally accepted principles of operation for professional development schools (PDSs), pragmatic modifications are needed to four major aspects of PDSs: the decision-making process; the need to build autonomous institutions; equity and reciprocity between school and university; and the…