The simultaneous restructuring of K-12 schools and teacher education programs located in rural regions is of primary importance. This paper explores the philosophical and theoretical rationales for the establishment of partnerships between a regional institution of higher education (IHE) and the local schools in the rural region served by the IHE.…

This seminar proceedings document offers a summary of the views articulated in a paper by Robert E. Johnson and others titled "Unlocking the Curriculum: Principles for Achieving Access in Deaf Education." The paper's contention was that deaf students' low average academic achievement levels are not results of learning deficits inherently…

This digest describes a model curriculum for children from language minority groups, called the "Optimal Learning Environment Curriculum--A Resource for Teachers of Spanish Speaking Children in Learning Handicapped Programs." This bilingual special education class model is governed by the following principles: (1) take into account the…

This document examines the issues of educational excellence and equity. The Milwaukee Public School System, Wisconsin, is cited as an example of a desegregation program that both exceeded court requirements of equity and also made a substantial contribution to the goals of excellence in education. The school effectiveness movement, like…

The growing body of literature on transforming the curriculum through the study of women contains several strands which serve as evidence of the range of issues this body of work addresses. It is argued that the genderized ideal of the educated person is an inadequate guide to the education of either sex in the late twentieth century United…

This paper presents a broad overview of the concepts of uniformity and diversity as issues in the development of public education systems in industrialized nations. First, the historical emergence of these issues is discussed. Various approaches to the two issues since the 19th century are summarized and reviewed, and efforts to develop…

This paper explores the cultural images that underlie educational policy and regulation. Based on interviews with California officials involved in educational policy and governance, it argues that strategies for regulating education are limited by the commitment of officials and their publics to a language of individual benefits and individual…

On October 19 and 20, 1983, citizens' hearings were held by the Massachusetts Advocacy Center to receive testimony from students, parents, educators, economists, researchers, and advocates concerning a crisis in public education in the Commonwealth. Section I of this report presents an overview of the current debate concerning the reform of the…

Principals wish to foster both staff motivation and student achievement in their schools, yet research reveals a seeming contradiction between these two goals. Fredrick Herzberg found in the late 1950's and 1960's that in various occupations, employees' motivation depended primarily on their sense of: the significance of their work, achievement,…

This paper is informed by one clear guiding principle: collaborative learning provides the platform on which independent learning is nurtured. The nature of collaborative learning in musicology as well as performance is considered. The focus is on learning rather than achievement, on process rather than presentation, on how students are encouraged…

A comparison of regular preschools and their teachers with Montessori preschools and their teachers is made in order to assess the advisability of introducing Montessori teacher education in an Australian teacher education institution. The comparison involves a discussion of general educational objectives, curriculum, teacher education, the role…

To make freedom work in the writing classroom, the instructor must be highly structured, possessing a clear sense of direction that includes a precise idea of the skills to be covered. Freedom refers to the view of writing as a liberal art, a liberating force with the capacity to open new channels of thought and lead students to discover…

Some principles, assumptions, and teaching techniques related to inservice education are presented in this paper for teacher educators who work with teachers or caregivers, Child Development Associate graduates or prospective teachers. The following principles for the selection of interactional focus are identified and discussed: (1) the teacher's…

A study was conducted to determine: (1) whether there is a recognized body of literature dealing with the development of American community colleges, and (2) what relationship exists between those who authored the works in this body of literature and those who are recognized as leaders of the community college movement. A selected group of…

The works of John Dewey and John Childs are reviewed with reference to the implications for research inherent in society's moral choice to provide a democratic education for its children. The selectivity of the educational system represents a moral choice in that it is a deliberate structuring of learning tasks, formulated by adults, for the…