The mission of the California Community Colleges, first articulated in the "Master Plan for Higher Education" (1960) and since reaffirmed in California Assembly Bill 1725, is to provide Californians with quality courses and programs in transfer and career education and in the mastery of basic skills and English as a Second Language…

This book presents 14 essays from American philosophers who critically investigate the moral issues generated by academic life. Topics addressed include free speech on campus, justifications for tenure, faculty appointment and evaluation procedures, the differing demands of research and teaching, sexual harassment, parietal rules,…

An orientation and peer helper program was developed at a public middle school in a rural community to reduce the problems associated with sixth-grade students transferring into the school during the school year. Transfer students and their parents or guardians were provided with a video and brochure that explained the school's services, programs,…

Judicial decisions affecting educational policy and management that were handed down in 1989 by state appellate courts and federal courts are summarized and analyzed in this book. The analyses, each written by one or more experts in education law, are divided into eight topical chapters: (1) employees; (2) bargaining; (3) pupils; (4) handicapped;…

After reviewing definitions of school climate with emphasis on the four dimensions of school climate described by Tagiuri (1968), this document examines factors within Tagiuri's school culture and social system dimensions as manifested in the climate of average elementary and secondary schools and as they affect low achievers. Variables examined…

A survey of court litigation traces the development of case law regarding the substantive rights of elementary and high school students in relation to school board rules and regulations. The survey reveals the gradual "judicialization" (conversion of conflicts into court cases) of educational governance and the delimiting of the school…

This annotated bibliography of 12 publications on student self-esteem includes six research studies that indicate the following: (1) it is the actual ability of students, not their self-concepts of ability, that make the difference in academic success; (2) students who feel strong parental pressure generally have lower self-esteem; (3) self-esteem…

Judicial decisions affecting educational policy and management that were handed down in 1988 by state appellate courts and federal courts are summarized and analyzed in this book. The analyses, each written by one or more experts in education law, are divided into eight topical chapters: (1) employees; (2) bargaining; (3) pupils; (4) handicapped;…

Theoretical traditions concerning school environments and student achievement are described, and their insights are linked with analyses of school and classroom interactions to develop a simple conceptual model of environmental influences on student achievement. The literature regarding environmental influences is then reviewed, and the last…

A selection from the many citations of material in the ERIC/RCS Reprint Bibliography entitled "Helping Parents Understand the Stages of Their Child's Reading Development," this FAST (Focused Access to Selected Topics) annotated bibliography can serve as a guide and beginning point for parents who want to become better informed about any…

This book examines the conditions for learning from the perspective of those students for whom schools are not productive and satisfying settings. Both current and desired characteristics of school environments are examined from the standpoint of their effect on marginal students. Questions probed include how difficulties begin and why individuals…

Judicial decisions affecting educational policy and management that were handed down in 1987 by state appellate courts and federal courts are summarized and analyzed in this book. The analyses, each written by one or more experts in education law, are divided into eight topical chapters: (1) employees; (2) bargaining; (3) pupils; (4) handicapped;…

The sharp increase in the number of cases that involve school antidrug policies continued in 1987. Courts continued to support school policies that contain an automatic suspension or expulsion penalty for school drug possession. First Amendment religious cases also continued to increase in number. A new grouping of cases under the heading…

This article reports on a survey of West German elementary and secondary school students undertaken to discover their opinions of the West German educational system. Their primary criticism was directed toward: (1) scholastic performance pressure; (2) unrealistic learning objectives; and (3) unsympathetic teachers. Older students were more…

Beginning in October 1987, Pelavin Associates conducted an exploratory study of consumer rights and accountability in postsecondary vocational-technical (PVT) programs for the U.S. Department of Education. The study focused on how effectively the governance structure--accreditation and federal and state regulation--ensures that consumer rights are…