Educational quality and the organizational structure of the nation's educational system are examined in relation to the call for reform in American public education in this symposium paper. In "Introduction and Problem Statement," Robert H. Beach states that problems in American education stem from a structurally dysfunctional system,…

The first two-thirds of this book, an adaptation of the 1984 television documentary "To Save Our Schools, To Save Our Chldren," reports on an ABC News Closeup study of the challenges facing education in the United States. The book discusses the vast dispartities between educational ideals and realities, suggests that the future of…

Although it is clear that adult education has existed much longer as a field of practice than as a field of study, little research exists to identify the contribution that an understanding of the field of adult education, particularly adult learning and techniques for teaching adult students, makes to the effectiveness of an adult educator. To…

Noting that the principles of writing process instruction typically offered to elementary teachers are less readily adaptable to intermediate classrooms emphasizing content area learning rather than basic skills, this paper explores two key themes important to the successful implementation of writing process instruction: (1) teachers' needs to…

Recent critiques of education in the United States have all too often been simplistic in their solutions and punitive in tone. American education has historically been concerned with providing equality of opportunity and accomodating individual and group differences, yet calls for excellence often devalue these fundamental elements of democracy.…

In spite of the different opinions among educators in the public and nonpublic sectors, dialog should be opened by educational policymakers. This report is intended as a resource for facilitating liaison mechanisms between the two sectors. The first section provides an overview of possible causes of conflicts between public and nonpublic schools.…

Patterns that emerged from reviewing 20 syllabi for courses on educational foundations, history, and philosophy are discussed, and five sample syllabi are presented. These courses are offered as part of graduate level studies in the field of higher education administration. The review revealed the following profile: the history of higher education…

In response to the negative learning environment found in most public schools today, a pedagogical method known as "The 3 Rs" (Reading, Reflecting, and Reacting) was developed to help schools produce active participants in a democratic and pluralistic society. Inspired by the literacy work of Paulo Freire, the method makes extensive use…

The papers in this document present three themes: history of higher education; educational thought; and education and reform. "The University of Illinois' Long Search for a Permanent Campus in Chicago, 1946-1963: The Relationship between the Politics of Influence and the Conflicting Images of an Urban University" (G. A. Sprague) begins part 1 and…

Although a considerable body of research has been developed in recent years on participation in adult education, little has been done from the standpoint of social policy and its impact on participation. To assist investigation of this aspect of participation, three social policy models are presented: market models, progressive-liberal-welfare…

This curriculum guide presents both general information on K-12 social studies curriculum development and information specific to designing an 11th and 12th grade sociology curriculum. A foreword and preface describe Hamilton Township's (New Jersey) K-12 social studies program sequence, curriculum and instruction design criteria, and support…

One of a series of documents prepared in conjunction with the revised minimum standards adopted in 1983 by the Ohio State Board of Education, this publication outlines the minimum standards for fine arts and physical education courses and provides course-of-study suggestions for kindergarten through 12th grades. It also defines fine arts credits,…

This collection of conference papers addresses selected philosophical and social questions being faced by contemporary educators. Papers and presenters are: "The Computer Revolution, the Technological Fallacy, and Education" (Keith L. Raitz); "Some Bits and Bytes: A Response to Raitz" (Robert J. Skovira); "The Public…

Since the 1970s, Outward Bound (OB) has borrowed psychological language and models to articulate its educational objectives and methods in terms accessible to mainstream educators. This report claims that OB's uncritical adoption of psychological language and models will undermine its commitment to certain core values of its tradition. This is…

Noting that being illiterate in this country precludes full participation in society, this paper addresses the issue of whether or not American society is truly literate. The first section of the paper offers a historical review of commentary on literacy and education to show that there has never truly been "a golden age of literacy," but rather…