Describes features of articulatory shortcuts discovered among middle class, educated native speakers of Spanish in Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador. It is maintained that these features should be taught to students of Spanish in order that they may understand colloquial Spanish speech. (AM)

Representatives from seven international library associations give a global view of the library and information sector by outlining goals of the international library association and discussing information literacy, repositioning libraries at the center of the information society, "virtual associations," reassessing library roles and…

Reviews the major substantive amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act being proposed by the U.S. Senate, including changes in state and local educational agency eligibility; least restrictive environment; private school placement; evaluations, reevaluations, and Individualized Education Programs; discipline procedures;…

Reviews a series of teaching activities that revolve around family photographs, letters, and artifacts. Outlines how these items can be used to teach recommended National Council for the Social Studies strands and provides classroom examples. Discusses developing a unit of study and includes a form for a Family Artifact Report. (MJP)

Criticizes K-12 civics and government education for focusing on the various components of government and creating a sanitized vision of how democracy works. Argues that conflict and compromise are parts of the democratic process rather than aberrations. Recommends a shift in focus on both the secondary and postsecondary levels. (MJP)

Introduces college level geography students to the International System of Units (SI), a standardized set of units used in science, engineering, and commerce. Identifies the SI base units as meter, kilogram, second, kelvin, ampere, mole, and candela. Includes geographically relevant examples of each. (MJP)

Examines forces that shape the design of assessment systems for teachers and some inherent contradictions with regard to curriculum and assessment. Proposes a system of assessment that is continuous, dynamic, and principled and does not remove from teachers the responsibility of defining what is important to student learning. (SD)

Two teacher educators utilized professional standards to inform their teaching. They used reflective dialog, action research, and critical inquiry in a standards-based language arts curriculum to support revisions and improvements in classroom practices and curriculum development. This led to new ideas about collaborative structures and stimulated…

A policy study (1992-94) investigated how three exemplary states have implemented transition services for youth with disabilities. Document evaluation and interviews (N=74) with key policymakers and implementors resulted in identifying seven themes that contributed to the successful initiation and continuation of transition policies, practices,…

Special education teachers (n=108) were assessed to determine whether standards for acceptable student behavior differed as a function of either placement or instructional level of schooling. Differences were found only at the elementary level, where teachers in less restrictive placements (such as resource rooms) expressed more rigorous…

A qualitative study examined a rural Alaskan school district's standards-based reform in the sociohistorical context of Alaska Native education. Observations and interviews with 32 district staff members indicate that the district had recast the historical "civilization-savagism" paradigm as an "unhealthy Native" construct to…

Examines the catalog descriptions of 42 undergraduate psychology programs in North Carolina. Reveals that minimum introductory and methodological requirements consists of one-term introductory, statistics, and experimental design courses. A required integrated experience was most often a history and systems course or senior seminar. This is…

The impact of standards-based school reform practices on African American learners, especially those in special and remedial classes, is examined. A rationale is presented for standards-based reform that is culturally responsive and not premised on high-stakes, along with recommendations for school reform that focus on accountability while…

There is a "gaping separation" in academic achievement between minority group children and White children. Research shows that minority group children can achieve when the following issues are addressed: high expectations geared to clear standards, timely intervention for struggling students, excellent teachers with good ethnic…

This article reassesses the contribution of the Plowden Report (1967) to educational thinking in the United Kingdom. It discusses how the report was scapegoated by politicians advocating a performance-led approach and suggests the report, which advocated a holistic, child-centered educational approach, has much to contribute to present educational…