Reviews the research on access to and persistence within higher education among women, minorities, older, and part-time students. Discovers that, although participation among these groups has risen dramatically since 1960, enrollment among blacks and Latinos dropped during the 1980s. Discusses causes and implications of these developments. (MJP)

A British project examined the involvement of pupils with special educational needs in assessing and managing their own learning processes as the 1994 Code of Practice legally requires. Teachers surveyed at 41 schools (mainstream or specialized for students with emotional/behavioral difficulties, and moderate or severe learning difficulties) found…

Reviews demographic and linguistic consequences of recent processes of migration and minority group influx in Western Europe and describes the case of the Netherlands to illustrate these effects. Highlights first- and second-language studies of immigrant and ethnic minority groups and notes resulting major demographic trends in Dutch society and…

Includes six reports from national associations and organizations. Highlights include annual meetings; government affairs; copyright; administration; diversity; new technologies; international programs; scholarly communication; information policy; access to information; preservation; statistics and measurement; digital libraries; economics of…

This article describes federal initiatives to support preparation of regular educators to serve students with disabilities through the eras of mainstreaming, the Regular Education Initiative, inclusion, and promoting access to the general education curriculum. Trends in the number of personnel preparation projects that support preparation of…

A study examined whether federal New Deal policy goals matched local policy outcomes in Mississippi, Georgia, and North Carolina. Data from 337 counties indicate that policy outcomes matched goals in that women's access to vocational training remained narrowly constrained. Additional funds mostly benefitted men's programs. Contrary to…

Surveys of Australian college faculty, conducted in 1977 and 1993, provide data for tracing trends in workload. While time devoted to teaching and research have remained stable, changes at the margins of academic workload are considerable. These tasks are largely generated by demands of institutional competition, accountability, and quality…

Examines the reform in England and Wales that changed the secondary school system from a selective to a comprehensive type during the period 1965-74. Discusses middle class resistance to this change. Analyzes enrollment patterns to show how the middle class retained an advantage even as the schools changed. (MJP)

Examines the controversy that led to the passage of legislation governing religious instruction in Britain and Scotland in the 1870s. Attempting to satisfy an unwieldy mix of denominations, politicians, and secularists, the legislation severely constricted religious instruction in England and Wales and left it almost untouched in Scotland. (MJP)

Examines changes in language department structure and program content at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Clemson University (South Carolina) as a result of new programs in Business French. The programs were developed in cooperation with the business schools to stem declining language enrollments. (MSE)

Presents the central features of an economic theory of social equilibrium based on the theory of distributive equilibrium. Uses the situation in Latin America in the 1980s and 1990s to test the validity of the theory. Argues that excessive inequality cripples sustained growth and democratic movements. (MJP)

The Texas legislature has provided funding for the initiation of professional development schools, locally known as centers for professional development and technology. This article examines the concept from the perspective of resources that will be needed to institutionalize field-based, technology-intensive teacher education programs. (Author/SM)

Provides summaries of five Federal Library and Information Center Committee annual forums on federal information policies (1984-1988). Topics covered include information resources management issues; concerns of librarians and information specialists; the implementation of information policies; and the impact of policies on international flows of…

Cites recent educational research to illustrate that policy analysts have failed to address the problems of racial and ethnic minority students in an increasingly diverse society. Reviews the four papers that comprise the theme issue which employ group-specific and comparative approaches to racial/ethnic issues in higher education. (FMW)

Reviews the state of knowledge on adolescent sexual behavior in the following areas: (1) onset of sexual behavior as a function of cohort, gender, and ethnic differences; (2) biological, social, and cognitive processes underlying such behavior; (3) demographic trends in the use of contraceptives; (4) research problems; and (5) successful programs.…