This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 11 titles deal with the following topics: (1) newspaper competition in Phoenix, Arizona, since 1947; (2) American journalism and China from 1945 to 1950; (3) the potential of newspapers as aids in establishing societal change and…

Debates and policies in the late 1950s and early 1960s regarding the United States-Soviet space race are described in this paper, and an analysis is presented of press coverage of President John F. Kennedy's public statements regarding space technology and exploration. The first sections of the paper present a selected space chronology from 1957…

The objective of this study is to measure achievement motivation in terms of psychological masculinity and femininity rather than in terms of biological gender. The terms, psychological masculinity and femininity, refer to sets of characteristics desirable for both sexes. Masculine characteristics include independence, self-confidence,…

This paper is a preliminary report on some aspects of a field study on modernization conducted in the Cook Islands during 1974-75. Polynesians enjoy a widespread reputation for generosity and communal cooperation. Ethnographic and structured techniques were combined to explore changes in these personality dimensions under the impact of…

Issues in selective admissions in Australia and especially in Victoria are reviewed. Administrative and policy issues are analyzed and some of the consequences of an imbalance between supply and demand are addressed. (MLW)

Issues in the relationship between the Veterans' Administration (VA) and medical schools are discussed, including VA faculty recruitment and retention, ambulatory care in VA teaching hospitals, governance and growth of research within VA medical centers, and effects of cost containment and competition on teaching and training in VA hospitals. (MSE)

Issues in the future of the Veterans' Administration (VA)-medical school relationship are discussed, including the cost of medical care, competition in the health care sector, and the changing government role. It is concluded that the existing relationship is strong and its maintenance of vital importance to the VA. (MSE)

Proposed National Collegiate Athletic Association rules changes concern Presidents' Commission grouping, academic standards and transfer, financial aid, amateurism, championships and extra events, drug testing, administrative regulation, financial audits, coaches' outside compensation, voting privileges, membership and classification, enforcement,…

Reviews two studies whose results indicate that students who share computers develop better work skills and social attitudes. One study, using eighth graders and a computer simulation, measured performance on worksheets and final exams. The second study used language learning via computer-assisted instruction to compare results on achievement…

Data from 1969 and 1975 are compared on these topics in legal education: student motivation, student and faculty attitudes about law schools' academic reputations, satisfaction with education received, schools' intellectual environment, professors' achievements, instructional quality, course content, student-faculty relations, and competitiveness.…

This document suggests changes to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in four targeted areas. Regarding Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) supports: (1) Setting challenging but demonstrably attainable student progress goals; (2) Judging school effectiveness by measuring progress of the same students over…

This study looks at the distribution of all 140,000 teachers in 2002-2003 among Illinois' public schools using five teacher attributes that have been shown in previous research to be related to student performance and for which they were able to obtain data--college competitiveness, years of experience, type of credential, performance on the Basic…

To Americans, innovation means much more than the latest gadget. It means creating a more productive, prosperous, mobile and healthy society. Innovation fuels this way of life and improves quality of life. Its wellspring is education. President Bush has made innovation and education top priorities. He worked with Congress to pass the most…

Data from a 2002 study indicate that small private colleges have been closing at an alarming rate. These institutions seldom possess the resources that might enable them to respond flexibly to changes in their environment, and rising operating costs and inadequate endowments leave them at a competitive disadvantage compared with public colleges…

This report from the Doing School Choice Right initiative reveals how two markedly different school districts, Milwaukee and Dayton, are confronting the challenges of competition. It explores how the two districts are affected by and respond to the pressures of school choice. Because it relies heavily on district's and school leaders' accounts of…