The economic and political forces behind recent calls for excellence in education are pointing to necessarily dramatic changes in the nature of the teaching profession. Members of the business community, state political leaders, and teachers are working together--with substantial private and state monies--to implement a radical reform agenda that…

To determine if a relationship can be found between school size and academic achievement, a study examined correlations for 566 New Mexico public schools (grades 5, 8, and 11) from 1978 to 1981. The measure of academic achievement used was the schools' average "total scale score" on the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills. The two…

A study was made of early childhood practices among Asian populations to meet the information needs of public school in the United States which serve students ethnically Asian. The focus of the report is on the demographic nature of the Asian population, the cultural characteristics of the most frequent subgroups of Asian-Americans, and the impact…

The Generic Baccalaureate Nursing Data Project, which expanded the national database on nursing education, is described. Over a 3-year period six national surveys of deans and senior nursing students were conducted to collect data in areas including recruitment, system interrelationships (institutional, community, and/or clinical agencies),…

Until the late 1960s, rhetoric instruction in the United States ignored forms of rhetoric used by black Americans, although black rhetoric has existed in the United States for as long as black people have lived there. A course in black rhetoric must acknowledge the persuasive intent of all rhetoric, but note at the same time that black rhetoric…

The role of university education in Malaysia in meeting the needs of the economy and employers was studied. To explore the relationship between education and employment, attention was focused on population characteristics, the labor market, the education system, and the economic system. Four major research concerns were: reasons for pursuing…

This paper surveys the demographic, historical, and research issues related to alternative education; describes successful models for disruptive and at-risk youth; and suggests how local areas might achieve safety in their schools. Programs for disruptive youth are forecast to grow through the 1990s; approximately 35 percent of school districts…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 28 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) abled and disabled sixth grade readers' knowledge of story structure under three conditions, (2) the impact of typographical factors on the visual information…

This document consists of four papers that were read as a joint presentation on learning in the workplace and credentials in employment. Reported in the first paper, "Educational Credentials in Employment: A Nationwide Survey" by Andrew G. Malizio and Douglas R. Whitney, are the results of a survey in which 1,500 members of the American…

Designed to be used with the sound-color filmstrip "Reconstruction: The Promise and Betrayal of Democracy," these learning activities are intended to help students in grades 5-9 develop critical thinking about how their textbook presents the Reconstruction Era. The activities focus on many ideas. Some of the focusing ideas presented are…

Two nationwide surveys of college educational programmers and older adults (over 60 years of age) were conducted during 1982. The first survey polled 249 educational programmers to determine the current status of older adult educational activities in terms of the institutions' demographics, funding sources, and programmer expectations of expansion…

The Nebraska educational system is experiencing internal turmoil even though its students are highly ranked nationally on standardized tests and show a higher ratio of graduating high school than those in most other states. This report was commissioned by Nebraska education officials who were concerned that their state was not taking a large…

This collection of 5 major papers and 32 abstracts covers a range of issues surrounding rural education. In the first paper, Glen Shaw, a rural Minnesota schools administrator, contends economic and technological changes have threatened rural jobs and the rural way of life. Anecdotes and statistics are employed to define rural problems and to urge…

This report is based on an in-depth study of early education in five multicultural primary schools in England's West Midlands. The aim of the study was to identify developments and features of organization that facilitate communication between teachers and children and among the children themselves. Specifically examined were the abilities of 247…

Discussion in Native American communities of problems related to alcoholism and drug abuse is encouraged through reading this paper, working on suggested activities and questions, and applying the information to improve local situations. Alcohol and drug abuse symptoms are described along with statistics illustrating the scope of the problem. The…