Explores the beliefs, assumptions, and values held by a group of Canadian music educators about the supports and barriers facing their programs. Assumes that educators' knowledge is socially constructed as well as holistic and mythic. Identifies four myths (aptitude and achievement, talent, process, and equal opportunity) that influence music…

Describes the evolution, organization, content, and teaching of a six-credit, two-semester, team-taught course on selected problems in environmental law that would expose students to more practical aspects of environmental law than most courses, break out of conventional conceptual boxes, improve teaching, and be fun for students. The course…

Since passage of federal legislation limiting the educational options of welfare recipients, community colleges have been scrambling to ease the impact on current and potential students. Low-income student enrollment is declining; many feel their only choice is work. Colleges are attempting to get programs on approved lists with local social…

Examines the social, biological, and political forces that changed the public policy conception of HIV/AIDS from an acute epidemic to a chronic illness. Provides an overview of the institutional and social responses to the disease. Discusses and defines characteristics of the chronic illness and plague models. (MJP)

Israel is fertile ground for research in multilingualism. Revitalization of Hebrew resulted in a tendency for ideological and instrumentally-motivated monolingualism to replace earlier multilingual patterns, even in the context of pressure for language shift by Arabic, Russian, Yiddish, and other languages, and Hebrew's competition with English in…

Examines demographic changes in the United States since 1980s influencing the recent effort to assert English over other languages. Key issues include: efforts to ensure English dominance in English-Only initiatives; court rulings on English-Only regulations in the workplace; and bilingual education legislation. Reviews current research on…

Presents a lesson plan that compares freedom of the press in the United States and other countries. Reveals the extent to which the First Amendment protects press freedom from abuses found in other countries. Includes a world map illustrating areas enjoying freedom of the press, and related statistical tables. (MJP)

Articulates the need for international cooperation concerning environmental issues and the promotion of sustainable development. Discusses several international treaties and conventions addressing specific environmental concerns. Lists a number of worldwide environmental concerns, including fresh water, arable land, air pollution, oceans, forests,…

Proposed a conceptual framework for analyzing kinship care policy that uses five new permanency outcomes. Concluded that, in formulating their own policies, states must separate a caregiver's need for support (money and services) from a child's need for supervision (casework oversight). Concludes that states must proceed cautiously in altering…

Explores the intersection of geography and politics in U.S. public policy development and connects this to several of the National Geography Standards. Discusses contemporary issues including economic interdependence, the impact of migration, resource competition, cultural values, and environmental issues. Offers suggested student activities. (MJP)

Outlines three approaches to exploring gender-sensitive political geography: (1) examining formal (voting and holding office) and informal (activism and interest groups) political activity; (2) delineating the variety of gender-based power constructs; and (3) reviewing recent policy developments, specifically the Family and Medical leave Act of…

Maintains that art education in an urban environment needs to move beyond multicultural awareness. Urban art education must stress art as a way of knowing about the world, a way of making nonviolent statements about social and environmental problems, and as a way of working cooperatively with other students. (MJP)

This article notes that recent changes in medical schools, due to funding trends and decreased demand for specialist services, have prompted dramatic changes in roles and rewards of faculty. Strategies for managing the changes are outlined for four areas: promotion and tenure, moving toward collective thinking, refining institutional mission and…

Describes the International Center for the Study of Educational Policy and Human Values at the University of Maryland. Asserts that it has achieved its two original goals of assisting experienced leaders to integrate an intercultural dimension into programs and develop model intercultural programs and training materials. (CFR)

Budget reforms adopted at the University of Montana and by the Arkansas state higher education system illustrate a variety of strategies for long-range planning. These efforts include reform of faculty collective bargaining, funding based on productivity enhancement, and a multiyear fiscal plan encompassing both operating and capital budgets. (MSE)