Overviews the impetus for an overhaul of the U.S. educational system with special reference to reform of foreign language education. The author covers goals, standards, implementation of new policies, local control, interdisciplinary teaching, teacher education, parental role, assessment techniques and staffing. Two responses to this overview are…

Describes a survey of teachers enrolling in postgraduate courses in Great Britain that was conducted to determine prior information technology experience and what the students perceived as information technology training needs. Highlights include differences between primary and secondary teachers, gender issues, age, and computer ownership. (16…

Describes a project aimed at examining the problems involved in a large scale integration of computerized simulations into the present structure of physics teaching in Israeli high schools. Assessment by students, teachers, and the project team indicated general satisfaction with the project. Discusses difficulties of implementing computer-based…

Reports a study of North Carolina elementary and middle school teachers' perceptions of their roles and responsibilities in assisting children of alcoholics (COAs), their need for additional training, and their perceptions of school-based assistance for COAs. Survey results indicated teachers were willing to help but desired training. (SM)

Describes a two-year, collaborative, university-school district teacher induction program in which beginning teachers' classroom performance was assessed using a behavioral observation instrument. Participants made significant gains, with first-year gains resulting from improvements in classroom organization and second-year gains related to…

Presents study results of teaching social studies in a rural environment. Addresses size of school, teacher preparation in social studies, teacher orientation toward teaching content, and achievement scores. Concludes that teachers in rural schools have more positive opinions of their students but need additional teaching materials and inservice…

Discusses restructuring of in-service and preservice mathematics teacher preparation, noting recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and National Research Council. The paper examines three standards for professional education: assessing students' mathematics understanding, knowing mathematics, and knowing mathematical…

The Inhabiting Other Lives program is an intensive effort to acquaint public high school teachers in Miami (Florida) with the literature and arts of different cultures. It is hoped that these teachers will give their students in the ethnically diverse Dade County school system an appreciation of cultural differences. (SLD)

This article describes a three-year project of the Council for Exceptional Children to provide continuing education for special and regular teachers, other professionals, and parents concerning attention deficit disorder (ADD). The project is developing four training modules which address (1) characteristics and identification; (2) model school…

Training materials in special section include "Places for Babies: Infants and Toddlers in Groups," by Jim Greenman; "Bonding with Your Babies," by Alice S. Honig; "The Wonder of the Everyday," by Amy Laura Dombro; "The Dual Challenge: Meeting the Needs of Parents and Babies," by Karen Miller; and…

Teacher education programs must help teachers handle children from diverse family backgrounds. Knowledge of family structures, acceptance of changes, and techniques for improving communication with parents should be included in preservice and inservice teacher education. Children's literature provides one way for teacher educators to increase…

Suggests ways to maximize benefits and minimize problems of obtaining master's degrees in music education through summer school graduate study. Considers factors that distinguish summer school from the regular calendar: changes in faculty, reduced course offerings and performance opportunities, and altered college environment. Includes a nine-item…

Outlines a distance education Certificate in Education program for teachers in the Commonwealth Caribbean, administered by the University of the West Indies in association with the University of London. Highlights the learning modules of the Teaching of Social Studies option. Examines student evaluation and explores problems that arise in…

This article discusses educational reform and personnel preparation in relation to dramatic changes in student demography. Professional development needs of teachers serving exceptional language minorities are delineated, including competencies such as understanding first- and second-language acquisition, using appropriate instructional…

Describes a collaborative reform effort among three school districts and the University of Charleston to meet the diverse needs of middle school science students with mild to moderate disabilities. The article discusses the design and implementation of the collaborative model, indicators of its success, and recommendations for similar efforts. (SM)