Congress is considering major changes in federal student aid programs that, if approved, would result in the largest increase in the cost of college in the nation's history. Colleges and universities must now consider how reduced federal student aid would affect their enrollment, and make federal policymakers understand the potential impact of…

Explores the possible intersections among postmodern theory, transactional theory, and writing instruction. Questions the transactional nature of writing. Argues that the issue of what constitutes a genuine rhetorical exigence poses a challenge to the field of writing instruction. (HB)

Michael Kirst argues that staff developers need to develop a clear set of policy positions and specific strategies to influence policymakers, noting that policymakers have traditionally held staff development in low esteem. The paper presents suggestions for what staff developers can do to further their cause. (SM)

This historical review examines conservative and liberal attitudes on U.S. campuses in terms of political, ethnic, racial, gender, and religious issues. Discussed are the era of protest (1960s), the era of quiescence and move toward conservatism (1970-84), reversing the trend via increasing faculty liberalism, and contemporary opinion (a…

Compares educational policies, strategies, and failures of Grenada's two recent governments--the (Marxist) People's Revolutionary Government and the New National Party, elected after the U.S. invasion. Suggests that political change alone cannot transform education in the face of unchanged economic, social, and educational environments. Contains…

The strategy for financing public higher education of using high tuition and student aid assumes, erroneously, that targeting subsidies directly to the needy makes a more equitable system, that the public will support the high-aid end of the equation, and that current and future students can repay debt. (MSE)

Summarizes the themes and discussions of the first conference of the American Library Association's Black Caucus. Issues addressed include responsibility to the African-American cultural heritage, education, financial aspects of librarianship, children's and young adult librarianship, and participation in the political process. (EA)

Traces history of foreign language instruction (predominantly Russian as a result of former Soviet political domination) in the German Democratic Republic prior to unification. Russian instruction, as a tool for ideological control, emphasized receptive skills such as lexis and morphology. Explains changes in content and methods in foreign…

The article examines problems in the U.S. public school system. It describes the factory and corporate models of education and suggests that, despite the conservative origins of the current wave of school reform, progress is possible. The article also discusses sociocultural factors and the importance of theory in school reform. (SM)

Since the 1970s, each presidential regime has presented an educational modernization reform program for Mexico. Although the various reforms have widened educational opportunities, the quality of education has continued to deteriorate because of student and teacher desertion, a low scholastic progress index, accessibility problems, lack of an…

The debate about political correctness on college campuses focuses not on the goals of diversity and equity but on strategies to attain them. Underlying the debate are different assumptions about our society's nature. Synthesis is needed in alternative models of campus order and openness, curricula, and admissions and hiring policies. (MSE)

A discussion of the liberal arts'"great books," specifically in political philosophy, reflects on the value of the core curriculum, the value of expanding the traditional canon, the use of reading to learn, results of true learning, and the danger of shunning works traditionally seen as important. (MSE)

Seven articles present models for collaboration between business and education, agriscience and extension, agribusiness and agricultural education, as well as a collaborative waterfowl refuge project and the political process and public relations. (SK)

Warns against the new model emerging for first-year writing programs that puts dogma before diversity, politics before craft, ideology before critical thinking, and the social goals of the teacher before the educational needs of the student. Discusses how this model came about, the threat it poses to first-year courses, and new possibilities for…

Instead of developing a new strategy for each reform wave, educators must learn how to foster continuous improvement. Reforms often fail because of faulty maps of change, complex problems, overreliance on symbols, superficial solutions, misunderstood resistance, attrition, and misuse of knowledge. Success means recognizing change as a systemic,…