A discussion of the current status of the German system of higher education looks at its relationship to federal and state governments, its administrative organization, problems (particularly in the eastern states) and areas where reform is needed, availability of student services, and the significance for the system as a whole of social and…

Examined associations between perceived family relationships and depressive symptoms in two ethnic contexts--European American and Asian American--at two developmentally important points--early adolescence and late adolescence/early adulthood. Found that ethnic differences in depressed mood not evident in the early adolescent sample emerged in the…

Comments on the special theme issue examining the roles of socialization, biology, and culture as they affect adaptive and maladaptive developmental outcomes. Proposes a theory-guided research approach, based on four assumptive components of contemporary developmental theories: systematic change and relative plasticity; relationism and…

Reviews a book that documents the circumstances surrounding the closure of a small, rural West Virginia high school. The book's strength derives largely from its crossing of disciplinary borders to address social, political, and economic factors that have influenced changing educational values and the trend toward consolidation in rural West…

Asserts that many Asian nations, in their drive to industrialize, have chosen national identity and economic development over the survival of their indigenous peoples. Utilizes case studies in Malaysia, India, and China to examine the divergence between macro- and microinterests illustrated by the egregious examples of these hydraulic projects.…

Examined the importance of students' academic performance levels and extracurricular activities as predictors of drug involvement relative to peer influence. Data were obtained from 2,229 randomly selected students in the 8th, 10th, and 12th grades from school districts in northeastern Ohio. At all grade levels, involvement in extracurricular…

Profiles music scholar Charles L. Seeger and his contribution to U.S. musical life. Seeger played a significant role in introducing vernacular music to schools, extending the definition of U.S. music in the curriculum, presenting music as a cultural subject, and promoting musical diversity in the classroom. (MJP)

Case studies of two British families with deaf preschool children were conducted to identify factors that could influence parents' selection of a communication method. Factors included information provided to parents, perceptions of assistive technology, attitude of service professionals and educational authorities, and quality and availability of…

This article provides an overview of policymaking in relation to state and local district testing and accountability and concludes by identifying continuing policy issues and strategies for local implementation of standards-based secondary education that aligns with current testing and accountability policies. Governance models for curriculum…

Article describes a substance-abuse prevention program, Four-Fold Prevention, designed to specifically focus on four primary areas of social support-parents, schools, communities, and peers. This program enhances positive and supportive relationships among children and influencing adults and peers by opening the lines of communication about…

Provides an overview of the series of articles and an overview of the historical context of previous theory-based models for career guidance in schools. Argues that school to work is not an intellectual strategy but an economic and political strategy that needs to be examined carefully, especially in relation to students' career needs and…

A parent questionnaire was used to assess cognitive, linguistic, and socio-communicative skills of 48 Cherokee and 37 Caucasian children ages 3-5. Cherokee scores were significantly lower across all three areas, but differences became smaller as age increased. Lower scores may reflect cultural differences in parenting rather than a language delay…

Chronicles English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) tutorial between a woman from Niger, whose first languages are French and Fulani, and her teacher, a native speaker of English. Highlights teaching issues, including identifying most useful focus for ESL instruction, gap between what teachers mean and students apprehend, and cross-cultural differences…

Reviews literature on English as a Second Language teaching in China, examining stereotypes of Chinese learners to highlight mismatches between Chinese students' learning dispositions and expatriates' teaching dispositions. A sociological analysis describes the construction of students as obedient at one Shanghai secondary school in the 1990s.…

In the second of a two-part series, this paper looks at the global spread of school dropout and at the factors that keep elementary school-aged children outside education. In order to have a more complete picture of the dropout problem, it necessary to take into account pupils who do not continue their education beyond primary education or who…