Reports on a study of 128 first-year teachers. The data suggest that beginning teachers are selective in whom they ask for help. Most sought help from experienced teachers they perceived as friendly or caring, whether they were mentors or not. (SM)

The article provides a context for understanding the development of student teachers' critical thinking skills and presents ways that cooperating teachers and university supervisors can promote and supervise critical thinking during practice teaching. It discusses patterns of communication, and inquiry-related informational conversations. (SM)

Action research, in which classroom teachers engage in systematic inquiry to develop new alternatives for approaching problematic classroom situations, is presented as a dimension of collaboration that has the potential to reduce teachers' resistance to changes in teaching practice as they work to accommodate diverse classroom populations.…

Discusses school choice policy itself, the debate between proponents and opponents, and the range of possible school choice programs. Addresses the roles of federal and state governments, the courts, and school administrators in school choice plans. Presents recommendations for achieving an educational environment that engages the minds of all…

Describes methods of using technology in a preservice social studies methods course that show how technology can support teacher planning and how technology can increase teacher effectiveness. Knowledge of instructional materials is discussed, and how to demonstrate the integration of technology into the curriculum through simulations for decision…

Describes the Follow Through educational model as one type of program with a strong commitment to parent involvement. Findings provide evidence of positive outcomes in three areas of parent involvement: advocacy, decision making, and instruction. Suggestions for the implementation of new parent involvement programs in elementary schools are…

Investigates why African-American parents with children attending urban and suburban Catholic and other private schools prefer private to public schools, focusing on 409 respondents' views toward public schools. Their responses on a 50-item self-report questionnaire show that African-American parents think lack of discipline is a major public…

Addresses issues in preparing teachers to be moral decision makers, examining assumptions in holistic teacher education. The article discusses how 195 teacher education programs address ethical and moral issues. It describes how a team of educators created and implemented a program addressing elements of holistic education, noting practical…

Examines factors relating to selecting machine-readable information sources from the perspective of the library manager concerned with serving user needs. Professional and novice searchers are considered; remote time sharing, CD-ROM workstations, and local tapes are described and compared; network choices are discussed; and impacts on the…

Traces the development of the principles and practices of Total Quality Management (TQM) at El Camino College, in California. Discusses institutional resistance to change and the need for careful implementation analysis and constituent group involvement. Includes a nine-item bibliography of theoretical and descriptive works. (MAB)

A Foxfire teacher describes student reactions to a democratic approach implemented in an undergraduate teacher education course and an inservice teacher workshop. Goal was for participants to develop methods and activities that would involve their future K-12 students in active and democratic learning. (LP)

This article offers guidelines for gifted students with learning disabilities and their parents as they plan for postsecondary education. The systematic approach includes questions to think about in college selection, questions to ask colleges about support services, and a decision-making matrix. (DB)

The role of Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council, an independent statutory body, in distribution of funds for research projects, programs, units, and major institutes. The agency's evaluation system, resource allocation practices, and training and career support system are described briefly. (MSE)

A study investigated variables affecting college-bound students' decisions to apply to a college after requesting that college entrance examination scores be sent to it. Results indicate that fit between the student's preferences and institutional characteristics had the most substantial impact, especially college location and test scores at or…

Discussion of expert systems and how they can be used focuses on recent research and empirically validated interface features. Highlights include immediate feedback; text brevity; graphics; explanations and human information processing abilities; novice user learning styles; multioption displays; users' mental models; incidental learning; and…