This booklet is one of a series of reports addressing the most critical issues confronting state boards of education throughout the United States. Each report attempts to present a concise, informative review and analysis of the best and most current information available on one of these critical topics. This booklet focuses on ways of increasing…

This anthology is an introduction to the sociocultural study of sport for those in physical education, sociology, anthropology, or any other study of human behavior in the social process. Part I provides a cultural framework, a series of definitions, and some understandings of the cultural setting of sport in American society as an orientation to…

Industrialization, democracy, and competition, basic traits of American life, have contributed toward standardizing expectations of how children should perform. Standardized tests, and labeling some children as "slow," make it difficult for children with unusual learning styles to achieve. Teachers too often teach for the test score rather than…

Economic problems, including the impact of Proposition 13, are reviewed that are affecting federal financial support for basic research. Focus is on political attitudes within Congress and the Carter Administration, including their effect on grants for research at land grant colleges. (LBH)

Some of the reasons for the comparative decline of the elite sector are analyzed, including (1) the historical transition from elite to mass access to universal higher education, (2) the politicization of higher education, and (3) the increasing submergence of higher education under external social controls. The preservation of an elite or "highly…

The success of higher education depends upon its steering clear of political involvements, but in Latin America this appears to be different. There institutions of higher learning are inextricably wedded to politics and political movements. This article reviews and analyzes higher education and politics in Latin America. (Author)

The work-study model has been a constant feature of Chinese education. Its goals and results are discussed with regard to lessons for foreign educators and policymakers. Focus is on access, economic benefits, and transforming values. (Author/LBH)

While state curricular mandates may bring compliance, the notion that they can change what happens between teachers and students in the classroom is inherently wrong. States must set broad goals, establish broad outcomes, hold districts accountable through periodic reviews, and also devote ample resources and energies to those ends. (MSE)

Concluded that (1) reliance on television news correlated negatively with knowledge of issues; (2) reliance on newspapers did not correlate at all; (3) focused television news correlated more highly with knowledge of issues than did general television news use; and (4) for newspapers, both focused and general use had strong correlations with…

Discusses the public rhetoric created during the debate over the Panama Canal treaties. Examines three foreign policy dramas that emerged: Cold War, New World Order, and Power Politics. Argues that these dramas provide insight into how foreign policy rhetoric reflects Americans' conceptions of themselves and their global responsibility. (JD)

Interest in quantifying the results of state economic development programs, most involving financial support to colleges and universities, in creating jobs may raise new questions about the appropriate relationship of campus researchers and business leaders. (MSE)

Some states use subsidies, grants, and other public monies to rejuvenate lagging rural economies, but without sound economic analysis to guide these efforts money may go to projects that do not achieve economic development goals. Minnesota's Iron Range programs illustrate what happens when economic analysis is sacrificed in political tugs-of-war.…

Recognizing the value of studying U.S. history and the contribution of the textbook to the curriculum, Gagnon examines five leading U.S. history textbooks with regard to two questions: (1) how helpful are these books for teaching democracy's ideas, practices, and adventures in the United States, and (2) what might they add to promote political…

Examines the effect that modern art has on society, investigating incidents of vandalism and public approval of those incidents. Discusses Plato's critique of the arts and artists, considering who should be entrusted with moral education. Concludes that a society that possesses the courage to face an unknown future will support a free art. (GEA)

Discussion of the use of simulation games to teach political strategy focuses on the relationship between honesty and expediency (winning). Three models of competition are developed, each involving a different relationship between truth and success, and the outcomes of a course on social situations and gaming are discussed. (16 references) (LRW)