Presents a theory from political science to serve as the unifying construct for the study of government and civics at the secondary level. Concludes with a series of assertions of what should guide the thinking related to the development of secondary level government and civics curriculum. Includes references. (CMK)

Investigates the Praxis II, the standardized teacher examination required for teacher certification in Georgia. Considers why African American teacher candidates were less successful than their white colleagues in passing this exit exam for teacher licensure. Concludes that assessment must account for the cultural realities that teacher candidates…

This paper emphasizes that good teacher-evaluation systems must vary in the kinds of data sources that are used for each teacher within the same personnel-evaluation system. Presents a literature review that shows such variable data systems are technically defensible. The paper examines variable data sources in relation to the "Personnel…

Principals deal with a range of people, issues, and forces represented by individuals, factions, and special-interest groups. Principals must develop a framework; analyze problems quickly, develop alternative plans, make sound decisions, and communicate resolutions clearly and sensitively to all parties. A political-awareness inventory is…

Describes how an English department and a school district responded to a parental challenge to the use of James Dickey's novel "Deliverance" in a senior English class. Offers a 2-month chronology of events, beginning with a letter of complaint to the principal, continuing through responses, meetings, media coverage, and the meeting and…

Presents a call to action (including an outline of specific ideas) to educators to resist high-stakes testing, and encourages them to stand up for what they know about how and why children learn (not by the threat of being retained or not graduating) and how and what to teach (not teaching to the tests). (SR)

An upstate New York superintendent shares strategies to ensure good board-administrator relations. Superintendents should stress the primacy of serving students' interests and maintaining a respectful culture, set goals, treat board members equally, work for the majority, refrain from socializing, and evade noneducation-related disputes. (MLH)

Traces the brief history of the University of Canada North, which maintained a corporate existence from 1970 to 1985 but never became a reality. Discusses conflicting desires of northern residents and the federal and territorial governments; tensions between First Nations, newcomers, and established non-Natives; and northerners' motives for…

Through a series of policy documents, the Australian government succeeded in establishing a climate of belief that technical and further education institutions were unresponsive to industry needs. Although empirical evidence failed to substantiate this claim, the mobilization of opinion led to a policy agenda based on corporate values and an…

In response to Kavale and Forness (EC 630 380), this article, rooted in the author's experiences as a learning disabilities teacher, discusses assumptions of the original article concerning social critiques and Marxism; diagnosis and classification for research or for pedagogy; validity of constructs and instruments for mental retardation; and…

Examines use of the term "whole language" by the mass media, scholarly journals, and interested parties in a college town. Argues disputes about "whole language" have as much to do with cultural, political, and economic issues confronting the United States, and in particular the Southwest, as they do with any conversation about the "best way" to…

Explores the legal, ethical, and pedagogical aspects of the right to education. Describes a study aimed at learning what the global attitudes are toward the right to an education. Discusses globalization and its effects on education and examines the impact of international caucuses such as the Convention of the Rights of the Child. (Contains 17…

Winona LaDuke discusses Indian leadership, her role models, her experiences running for vice president with the Green Party, ways to encourage leadership among Indians, and her future plans. A sidebar describes the White Earth Land Recovery Project, founded by LaDuke, which facilitates reservation land recovery, Indian cultural revitalization,…

Considers the current context for concern about 'political education' worldwide and in the United Kingdom. Analyzes the concept of political education and discusses political education in the United Kingdom, addressing the reasons for United Kingdom exceptionalism. Introduces this issue of "Oxford Review of Education." (CMK)

Provides a brief historical background on political education in England. Describes four reasons for the development of political education policies during the 1970s, the three types of political education (political literacy, 'new' or 'adjectival' education, and education for citizenship) promoted from 1969-98, and four trends across political…