The item bank (Rasch model) has serious limitations for the national assessment of subject performance: it requires agreement about the scope and organization of each school subject and about the difficulty level of each test item; and items tend to focus on factual knowledge, ignoring other desirable learning outcomes. (SJL)

It is not surprising that so little learning takes place in school. Teachers and principals are not employed for their educational skills, but for their ability to enforce law and order, to keep students under control. (Author/SJL)

The reliability of grading by tutors at the Open University in Great Britain is examined. It is found that essays pose the greatest problem, which affects instruction in the arts, social sciences, and education most greatly. Less cause for alarm is found in other curricular areas. (MSE)

The sequence of events and implications of the disciplinary dismissal of three faculty members of Philander Smith College are discussed with relation to the AAUP's 1940 Statement of Principles. It is concluded that faculty rights were violated by the administration and governing board. (MSE)

The denial of tenure to and dismissal of an assistant professor at Nichols College are considered. It is concluded that he was denied due process according to the AAUP's 1940 Statement of Principles. No issue of academic freedom was raised by the decision; however, the administration's action is criticized. (MSE)

This paper summarizes previous research findings concerning truants, then looks at a group of 22 young people who, as a result of their continued truancy, were attending an alternative education center. They were asked about their former schools, courses, and teachers and about their feelings toward the center. (Author/SJL)

West German and English teachers completed questionnaires and interviews about stress situations and responses. English teachers identified more stress situations than German staff, who felt more certain of their roles and more involved in school decision-making. Both reported poor staff communications and disruptive pupil behavior as their major…

Teachers have strong subject loyalties and thus strong subject identities which are reinforced by social interaction within their department and by isolation between departments. Needlecraft teachers in contrasting organizational frameworks are used to illustrate subject identity (f=fiche number). (Author/CP)

The effectiveness of assertiveness training discussion group parenting programs with center-city and suburban parents was evaluated. All parents showed a significant pre- to posttest decrease in restrictiveness on Block's Child Rearing Practices Report, regardless of group membership. A significantly greater change was noted for center city…

Examines four traditional explanatory models for the influence of parents on children's self-esteem. These models are directiveness, modeling, reward and punishment, and positive family interaction. (Author/DB)

The author describes historical stages in educational theory: conservative tradition (1879-1904); progressivism (1904-1929); and conservative reaction (1929-1954). For the period since 1954, he considers the conflict between positivism and radical dissent, and the new ecological consciousness of education as part of wider social and political…

A counselor can arbitrate problem situations using a systematic approach to classroom intervention which includes meetings with the teacher and students. This crisis intervention model based on moral development can be more effective than reliance on guidance activities disconnected from the actual classroom settings where the problems arise.…

A survey of teachers reveals that major causes of stress are: trying to work satisfactorily with each of their students, managing their time, and handling relationships with their peers and superiors. If teachers clearly understand what factors are causing stress, they can cope with it more successfully. (JD)

This article argues for the abolition of substitute teachers on the grounds that they waste student time and school district money and that the position degrades the individuals who act as substitutes. (JMF)