Reed College uses a junior qualifying examination, which can take a number of forms, a senior thesis based on the subject chosen for the junior exam, and an oral exam based on the senior thesis to monitor student preparation and measure the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum and instruction. (MSE)

From the academic--or instructivist--perspective, the young child is seen as dependent on adults' instruction in the academic knowledge and skills necessary for a good start for later academic achievement. This perspective is in direct contrast to the active and interactive curriculum assumed by proponents of the constructivist approach. This…

Reports the results of the Parent Child Development Center experiment begun in 1970 by the United States Office of Economic Opportunity. The goal of the project was to promote the development of children from low-income families, primarily by helping parents become more effective child-rearing agents. (Author/RH)

A general model for a quantitative description of individual growth in learning was developed. Published data in a variety of areas and data on learning sequences in a classroom were processed through the model. Findings suggest that the general growth model governs growth phenomena. (Author/RD)

This article discusses ways a school in Saint Louis (Missouri) applies the theory of multiple intelligences in the curriculum. The article identifies seven potential pitfalls and describes how this school works around them. A brief summary of the seven intelligences is included. (SM)

The evolution of the Honors Program at the Community College of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) is described, focusing on faculty participation and program decisions. Central program features are practices that build an intellectual community among faculty and students, including an interdisciplinary curriculum, seminars and writing groups,…

Introduces the Reflective Judgment model of intellectual development which illustrates how reasoning skills develop in adulthood and relates this to multicultural education at the college level. The model can inform instruction and help students think about complex issues from different perspectives. (MJP)

Confirmatory factor analysis of data from a portion of a long-term study provided evidence for two components of math anxiety for 298 male and 266 female 6th through 12th graders. The components related to negative affective reactions and cognitive aspects. Age and gender differences were significant. (TJH)

Presents theoretical background for building an early childhood curriculum based on the Educare approach. Five principles are explained. They emphasize that learning drives development and that social interaction, interpersonal relationships, mutual understanding, and culture are unique in developmental processes. Concludes that teachers can have…

College faculty are not trained for intensely emotional discussion of non-Eurocentric topics that may arise in a diversified curriculum. They must learn to teach students to separate facts from cultural assumptions; shift perspective and acknowledge the validity of other viewpoints; and differentiate between personal discomfort and intellectual…

Psychologist Howard Gardner argues that schools fail because they do not confront often flawed childhood theories about the world that students bring to the classroom. He claims teachers must acknowledge, challenge, and build on such assumptions so students can internalize lessons taught in school and apply them outside the classroom. (SM)

A study of 28 graduate teaching assistants' socialization experiences identified 171 salient experiences signaling and intensifying identification with the departments and their roles as fledgling academicians. Experiences are categorized as (1) changes in intellectual self-evaluation; (2) encounters with students, peers, and superiors; and (3)…

Reviews the place of creativity in the two major orientations of art education: (1) creative self-expression; and (2) discipline-based art education (DBAE). Asserts that critics of DBAE argue that it is dry and does not allow for creative expression. Rejects this notion and claims that properly implemented DBAE produces intellectual and emotional…

Citing examples from a study of more than 600 elementary school students, this paper focuses on the importance of assessing children's understanding of disease processes rather than accepting their use of key phrases in appropriate contexts as reflecting knowledge. Includes guidelines for assessing how well children understand disease processes.…