To help national leaders work toward the first of six national education goals set forth in America 2000, which states that all children in America will start school ready to learn, surveyed the opinions of early childhood professionals. Reports on changes that have occurred in early childhood education efforts in the states and offers suggestions…

Questions the usefulness of "unitary" English, which subsumes language and literature as a prominent feature of much progressive pedagogies. Proposes that language and literature instead be separated and thus radically transformed. (HB)

Reviews significant findings from the author's research and speculates on differential responses to his work. Argues that appropriately chosen direct instruction in the spelling-sound code is the reality that will enable the romance with whole language to be a long-lasting one and that educators must let scientific evidence answer questions about…

Examines the role that party control, state political culture, black voting strength, and some socioeconomic variables play in shaping a climate conducive to the employment of black faculty in public higher education. Of particular interest is the role of party control on the redistributive effects of affirmative action. (GLR)

Researchers examined the operation of planned activity time (PAT) for Scotland's elementary and secondary teachers. PAT required that teachers devote 50 hours per year to planned school and professional development activities. Interviews indicated PAT was successful, though teachers criticized certain aspects and wished their opinions were…

Claiming that individual school board members act in selfish ways, proposes electing entire school board as a slate. Board would collectively be held responsible for performance of the school system and all of its employees. State legislation would be required to specify how interested groups would select a slate and create a charter, which is the…

Defines educational voucher programs and summarizes arguments in their favor. Discusses the strength of the voucher movement, the ideology and attitudes behind it, and the current extent of voucher programs in the United States. Reviews research on publicly funded voucher programs, focusing on the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and the…

Argues that people and technology are inseparable and exert reciprocal control. Argues that teachers will not be able to halt the spreading influence of technology in education or in their lives, but should understand the dangers and be ready to confront them. Maintains that the human heart of education must be kept alive no matter how heartless…

Education Department officials closely followed the wishes of Congress when issuing new rules for a highly regarded Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education grant competition. Last year, after Congress directed agency officials to give grants in 18 specified "subject areas," and also suggested recipients, it was criticized for…

After a surge of Catholic immigrants, James Blaine, Speaker of the House in the 1800s, proposed an amendment prohibiting public aid to religious schools. Though Congress rejected the idea, many states put the proposal in their constitutions, where it remains. Much ongoing controversy over school choice began with Blaine. This paper recommends…

Offers a brief description of the Third International Conference for Global Conversations on Language and Literacy, held in Bordeaux, France, in August 1998. Gives brief summaries of five conference presentations or sessions. (SR)

Discusses disciplinary actions against the principal of a small, suburban elementary school in Westchester County, New York, from several vantage points: the legal story, the whole-language story, the leadership story, and the school in the community story. Discusses the struggle of public schools both to constitute and to relate to the policies…

Presents an instrument that provides insight into elementary children's perceptions of their self-efficacy in the performance of academic activities. Finds the scale to be reliable and positively correlated with grade achievement. Describes applications for the instrument in classroom-level action research, program-evaluation research, and formal…

About 20% of Canadian children live in poverty. The idea that wealth influences achievement is being denied. Although the government promised that half the "fiscal dividend" would be reinvested in children, it held focus groups instead. Meanwhile, a research finding about poor parenting has grabbed media attention. (MLH)

Describes how the authors collaborated on a teacher research project in three elementary school classrooms (first, second, and third grade) as a means of documenting teaching and learning in "Wholistic" classrooms. Offers a skill sketch of the data collected in each classroom, documenting exactly which skills were receiving attention and practice…