The article examines issues concerning mild mental retardation (MMR) classification and programing including placement bias litigation, MMR diagnostic construct and classification criteria, general intellectual functioning, adaptive behavior, sociocultural status, pseudo reforms through changes in assessment, the Learning Potential Assessment…

Changes in the National Education Association's new edition of "Budget Handbook for College Faculty and Staff," reflecting new rules for institutional accounting, are summarized and implications for faculty and staff are highlighted. Budget terminology, sources of budget information, and budget components are detailed as well as changes…

Reports the results of a survey of accredited library schools that was conducted to determine the status of literacy studies in their curricula. Highlights include courses on literacy; lectures on literacy as part of other courses; and plans for the future. An appendix includes definitions of six types of literacy. (LRW)

Traces the redefinition of "diversity" at one university as it evolved from the initial vision of a small number of faculty, students, and administrators, many of whom had connections to a women's studies program, to its adoption and implementation as an undergraduate general education requirement. The author's observations as one…

This training module is intended to clarify the notion of portfolio assessment and help users design such assessments. The rationale for assessment alternatives is presented; and portfolio definitions, characteristics, pitfalls, and design considerations are reviewed. The use of portfolios in large-scale assessments is particularly demanding of…

Acceptance of the philosophy of competency-based education in dentistry would allow clinical dental educators to teach better but will require a changed approach to student evaluation and competency assessment that involves both teacher and learner. The move to competency-based dental education must be a cooperative effort within the profession.…

Examines educational film and video as an affective or cognitive learning tool. Suggestions are given on how to select a film for a particular lesson; how to prepare students for viewing; how to structure a lesson including the language arts; and how students can be led to improved visual literacy though analysis of form and structure. (Author/KRN)

This paper discusses changing aspects of gifted education in the past 40 years in relation to definitions, identification, and service provision. The field is seen to have broadened to a more holistic and dynamic approach in which the complexity of human potential is accepted and the equal importance of family, community, and school is recognized.…

Describes a multiyear national effort by the Center for the Study of Community Colleges to stabilize a definition of transfer rates and collect data on student transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions. Presents preliminary findings and reactions to the study/findings by college practitioners. Advises simplicity and efficiency.…

Results of a survey of 47 state departments of public instruction regarding eligibility criteria for the identification of children with mental retardation are compared to results of 1981-82 and 1985-86 surveys. Although states continue to vary widely in definitions and procedures, more states now specify assessments of intelligence, adaptive…

An Australian survey found that early childhood teachers were very supportive of early identification of gifted and talented children, though many had only a fuzzy definition of giftedness and suggested teacher observation as the best identification technique. Teachers who had been involved in gifted education recommended more specific…

Role relationships among teachers, administrators, and university educators from five schools and one university in a three-year collaborative project were studied. A general progression from initial ambiguity regarding role definitions for all participants to a tentative consensus on the value of the importance of teacher leadership is noted.…

This paper argues that the new federal definition for emotional or behavioral disorders may deny services to many deserving pupils, such as urban socially maladjusted youth, homosexuals, historically oppressed minorities, and students from low-income households. The role of teachers, teacher education programs, and professional groups in this…

The appropriateness of a spiritual dimension in teacher education, specified but not defined in British educational legislation, is considered. Despite the difficulty of finding an acceptable definition of spirituality, its inclusion in teacher education courses is recommended. Issues for teacher trainers to consider in course evaluation are…

This article provides a critical review of the literature on mentoring. It emphasizes the links between mentoring and undergraduate academic success and focuses on higher education and the extension of mentoring into undergraduate education. Issues of definition and the different perspectives that could be used in future research are explored.…