Discusses the problems new political administrations encounter trying to staff the executive branch of the U.S. government. Identifies three major problems: (1) not enough time and too many appointments; (2) recruiting talented appointees; and (3) delays in start up. Suggests options for dealing with problems. Expounds on the George Bush…

Discusses the development of early attitudes to mathematics and how these may account for the differences in the numbers of boys and girls achieving success with mathematics in the secondary school and electing to study mathematics at the senior level. (YP)

Raises issues concerning pupils' interactions with mathematics textbooks. Discusses problems related to effective reading and the ability to interpret graphs, diagrams, and symbols. (NH)

California state policies and regulations that force teacher education programs to limit enrollment because of insufficient resources, and discourage immigration of out-of-state teachers contribute to California's critical shortage of teachers. In addition, the quality of elementary instruction is jeopardized by regulations that diminish…

Examines recent changes in admission patterns and policies of some of the most prestigious American institutions of higher education, with particular reference to the University of California-Berkeley. Assesses the impact of these changes on Asian Americans and the principle of meritocracy. (FMW)

Describes events in Fairbanks (Alaska) resulting from an attempt by some community members to remove a book about homosexuality from the high school library. The discussion covers community reactions, media coverage, and a school board campaign that focused on this issue. Tabbert's speech the night of the vote is presented in the second article.…

Summarizes the results of an informal survey of fourth grade students that examined the criteria by which they select books for relaxed reading and report information, and how they use library catalog information. A need for flexibility in cataloging systems to meet children's information retrieval needs is indicated. (10 references) (CLB)

Identifies the determinants of female junior high school students' intentions to enroll in elective physical science courses in high school using the theory of the Reasoned Action model. Finds that the intentions were a function of both attitude toward performing the behavior and subjective norms. (Author/YP)

Addresses the growing size of college organic chemistry textbooks. Notes that at the current rate of growth, average textbooks will be 1544 pages long in year 2000. Suggests methods to reduce textbook size. (ML)

Each of three articles describes an academic library's online catalog that includes locally created databases. Topics covered include database and software selection; systems design and development; database producer negotiations; problems encountered during implementation; database loading; training and documentation; and future plans. (CLB)

Suggests how administrators may reduce teacher incompetence. Teacher incompetence can be reduced if administrators fully understand and undertake appropriate preventive and remedial measures. Two sections comprise this article. First, a taxonomy of teacher incompetence reveals the magnitude of the problem. Second, preventive and remedial measures…

An Australian study of year 11 girls investigated factors in their choice of mathematics instruction beyond required courses. It is argued that the campaigns being undertaken to encourage girls to choose mathematics are sometimes undermined by the structure of the mathematics curriculum available to them. (MSE)

Explores the legal ramifications of malpractice among librarians and the possible impact on services due to fear of being sued. Topics include identification of potential malpractice areas; cooperative electronic reference services; use of reference standards; insurance; contract; disclaimer; updating library collections; using Internet resources;…

Examines the motivational factors that contribute to course selection in a sample of students enrolled in an intensive three-week academic experience for gifted adolescents. Researchers evaluated the selections of 947 students and found that course participation fell along traditional gender-stereotyped lines. The complex motivations behind…

Discusses restructuring a college library staff to provide adequate library services by employing librarian generalists who specialize in several areas of librarianship. Highlights include the professional benefits; planning for change; staff development and hiring; and specific guidelines for restructuring jobs to meet the information needs of…