A rural Vermont school district instituted needed and desired changes during a 3-year improvement effort. A 1982 needs assessment evaluated school performance in seven areas found to exist in effective schools. Change efforts followed three principles: all curriculum and policy changes were done on a district-wide and K-12 basis, teachers were not…

This paper traces the development of the educational system of Botswana, a small south African country of one million, emphasizing its democratic origins and customs, historical influences, social trends, and economic support. Changes in the educational system, especially in universal primary education, since its independence from Great Britain in…

Many feel that an advantage to using computer simulations in science teaching is that they give students the opportunity to witness or perform experiments which might otherwise be too expensive, time consuming, or dangerous for them to do. Simulations attempt to mimic the kind of experience students get in a laboratory and help students learn new…

In the past 15 years a new curriculum field known as "Science, Technology, and Society" or STS has been established, first in higher education and since 1982 in K-12 education. The first section of this review charts the development of the STS field since the late 1960s. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s a group of writers, called STS prophets,…

It is the theme of this paper that economic prosperity and public education are inseparable; yet, both are lacking in Louisiana. The lack of excellence in education is a liability for stimulating and accelerating the growth and diversification of business and industry. In particular, educational mediocrity is evidenced in the following: (1)…

For this joint effort among three Cabinet Agencies, studies by a variety of organizations were reviewed and 134 business leaders and 34 education leaders in many communities throughout the United States were interviewed to determine what businesses find lacking among new entrants into the labor force and what employers' work force needs will be in…

New York City's executive budget for fiscal year 1985 provides for significant service increases, after a decade of severe fiscal constraints. The Educational Priorities Panel (EPP) therefore proposes a $50.7 million increase in the education budget of the City Council and the Board of Estimate, to be directed toward the following priorities: (1)…

Voluntary organizations providing inservice activities for principals are the newest in the administrative development field. This paper explores those organizations' prospects, particularly the voluntary, administrator-directed "principals' center," and borrows its analytical framework from theories of group formation. The Principals' Center in…

Provided are hearings on the H.R. 5254 (National Engineering and Science Manpower Act of 1982). The purpose of this legislation is to establish a national policy which will insure an adequate supply of scientists and engineers necessary to meet the needs of the United States in the future. Testimony was presented by John Glenn (U.S. senator from…

The need to reinforce the skills of science teachers and supervisors and the need to increase student performance in the sciences have become critical national concerns. The importance of quality science education grows as science and technology continue to be major factors in our daily lives. New York City has recognized the need to enhance…

This publication is one in a series of 12 giving the recommendations that were made for a broad and balanced education program in science for young people. It examines science teachers' concerns about the science education of children with learning difficulties, sets this within the context of special education, concentrates on ways to provide…

In response to the urgent national need to revitalize mathematics and science education, the National Research Council (NRC) has undertaken an examination of mathematics education from kindergarten through graduate study. Major studies are being conducted for the NRC, and this book, as a public preface to the work, outlines the seriousness of the…

A method for improving curriculum and schools through the local development of competency tests in basic skills--the Competency-Rossville Model (CRM)--is outlined. The method was originated in the school system of Rossville (Illinois) and has been tested in five other midwestern school systems. The approach leads the faculty of the school, with…

This report is adapted from a letter sent to President-Elect George Bush in early January 1989. The report was published to stimulate a broad public discussion of the role that the Federal Government might play in developing the skills of the Nation's people. The priority of preventing damage to young children is the topic of the first section. In…

This discussion paper focuses attention on the interrelationship between two issues--the unsatisfactory performance of New Zealand's economic system and slow changes in its education system--by examining the role of education and training in economic performance and development. It analyzes the views of a representative group of leaders across a…