Reports on a study of the apparently paradoxical absence of background socioeconomic status (SES) effects on school continuation by college graduates. Finds results consistent with earlier studies of SES impact on schooling and explains the absence of parental SES effects on schooling beyond college. (CFR)

Four studies of social work faculty publishing are reported, all using citation analysis. They examine national, local, and personal norms of citations as objective indicators of reputation, for full, associate, and assistant professors of social work, at graduate and undergraduate levels. (MSE)

A survey of 287 deans of social work schools investigated the nature of benefits awarded to undergraduate and graduate field instructors in social work. Most frequently awarded benefits included use of library holdings/equipment, continuing education, and designation as adjunct faculty. It is recommended that programs be more attentive to this…

A survey of 55 special education doctoral training programs in the United States indicated a continuing need for leadership personnel at the university level. Of particular note were the seemingly lower enrollments at institutions of higher education as well as the growing number of doctoral graduates taking positions outside of higher education.…

Describes informal curriculum discourse in a group of graduate students and their teacher who met regularly to discuss curriculum theory and research; examines power structure and assumptions, discussing ways in which habitual responses, roles, expectations, and identities were constructed by intersections of personal, social, historical, and…

Examines (1) how understanding others in educational contexts relates to understanding the practices of curriculum and (2) how the practices of curriculum encourage everyone involved to reflect upon who they are becoming in the field of education. The article focuses on the experiences of graduate students in English education. (SM)

The authors argue that a recently proposed Minnesota policy for implementing full-cost tuition in selected practitioner master's degree programs in state institutions is counterproductive. The proposed policy is examined as a case study of probable supply and demand effects on student enrollments and institutional vitality. (Author/MSE)

A study of constraints on university faculty productivity in the United States suggests that universities cannot expect major productivity gains without redefining faculty roles in research or teaching. Some economies of scale were found, but they do not necessarily represent increases in value of faculty efforts. (MSE)

The University of Kentucky conducts a competency-based graduate program that prepares teachers to work with students with moderate to severe developmental disabilities and severe behavioral disorders. The program prepares personnel to work in diverse settings, provide consultation and inservice training, and analyze and conduct applied research.…

A study of the decisions of 217 physical therapists to return to graduate school looked at background characteristics, college characteristics, college experiences, work experiences, and attitudes toward graduate study. Reasons for returning included primarily professional skill development, and also specialization needs and income enhancement.…

The use of the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Management approach to restructure the graduate school admissions process is described, and lessons learned from the venture are discussed. The resulting five-day admissions procedure now in place is outlined. (MSE)

A graduate teacher education program at the University of Colorado prepares special educators for urban school environments through an urban school immersion experience while learning necessary instructional and collaborative skills. Interviews with graduate students and mentor teachers addressed the special educator's role and the effectiveness…

Consequences of two university departments' dependence on fluctuating research funding and their responses to it are examined, focusing on juggling dependence-based problems with graduate student education, instrumentation needs, grant discontinuation, faculty recruitment, and planning. The combination of institutional decentralization and the…

Reports on a procedure in which students read and evaluate each other's term papers. Contends that students improve their own writing and provide constructive, substantive feedback to their peers. Finds that the student reviews showed higher reliability than professional peer reviews of journal manuscripts. (CFR)

A national survey of graduate-program chairs (n=28) and graduate students (n=131) in social and administrative sciences gathered information on research-methods courses and other curricular data, including core/required courses; subject area emphasis; where and how students gain knowledge in specific areas; importance of level of preparation in…