Experts from government, academia, and interest groups met to discuss and explore the impact of changes in agriculture, industry, and government in shaping events in rural agricultural communities. Texts of 15 of the 18 papers are reproduced in the proceedings, along with the letter of submittal, overview, an agenda, and a list of presenters and…

This document contains working papers prepared for a seminar on Adaptation and Integration of Permanent Immigrants, along with general and specific recommendations formulated by seminar participants. Conclusions and recommendations from each paper are presented in English, French, and Spanish; the conference papers themselves are presented only in…

A report on second language instruction in elementary schools outlines the state of the art and makes policy and program and offers recommendations. An introductory section discusses the rationale for foreign language instruction at all levels and particularly in elementary schools, emphasizing the value of early and prolonged exposure to language…

Based on a comprehensive review of the existing research reinforced by consultation with a panel of experts, this report documents the impact of computers on many aspects of elementary and secondary school operation--e.g., uses to which computers are put, student performance and attitudes, and teacher atttiudes--and also on postsecondary…

A team designing a Web-enhanced third-year medical education didactic curriculum based their course planning and evaluation activities on the Institute for Higher Education Policy's (2000) 24 benchmarks for online distance learning. The authors present the team's blueprint for planning and evaluating the Web-enhanced curriculum, which incorporates…

In this contribution developments in Applied Linguistics in Europe are linked to major social changes that have taken place over the last decades. These include: The decline of the USSR and the end of the cold war; The development of the EEC and the EU and fading of borders; The economic growth of Western Europe; Labor migration from the south to…

This module is designed to introduce educational leaders to an organizational assessment tool called a "culture audit." Literature on organizational cultural competence suggests that culture audits are a valuable tool for determining how well school policies, programs, and practices respond to the needs of diverse groups and prepare…

Although education pays off handsomely in the United States, children from low-income families attain less education than children from more advantaged families. In this article, Cecilia Elena Rouse and Lisa Barrow investigate why family background is so strongly linked to education. The authors show that family socioeconomic status affects such…

In 1973, compulsory province-wide grade 12 examinations, administered in Alberta since 1906, were dropped; teachers were given the responsibility of assigning final grades. Mandated by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1976, this study by the Minister's Advisory Committee on Student Achievement (MACOSA) surveyed education professionals,…

The symposium report focuses on effects of state curriculum mandates on the social studies curriculum. Part of a larger study designed to examine the effect of state law on the introduction and implementation of law-related education, the report is presented in two sections. Section I analyzes social studies mandates in the 50 states. Five…

A national evaluation study was conducted to ascertain the effects of the large quantity of manpower devoted to community organization and leadership development work by state cooperative extension services. Data were sought on evaluation questions which addressed objectives and policies related to community organizational and leadership…

Major research findings are synthesized and innovations of current concern to vocational rehabilitation professionals are reported in this document, which covers the area of sheltered industrial employment. It is intended to provide a state-of-the-art review of worldwide experience and conceptualizations regarding accommodated or sheltered…

The paper reviews major issues in population education. It offers suggestions for clarifying objectives of population education courses so they will be consistent with both the interests and needs of a society and individuals and groups within the society. Population education is defined as an educational process which assists the individual in…

The report discusses achievements in Sweden's economic and social reforms which have led to an increase in equality. Intended as Sweden's contribution to the exchange of information regarding social welfare action in developed and developing nations, the report is presented in eight chapters. Chapter I enumerates Sweden's policies of welfare,…

It is often proposed that high schools are partly to blame for the decline in achievement test scores. Critics of current practices in education cite the decline in Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score averages that has occurred each year since 1963 as evidence. The College Entrance Examination Board Advisory Panel on SAT Score Decline has…