A survey of pharmacy students in their last year of training examined factors relating to student commitment to and satisfaction with pharmacy. Included were the number of professional organizations joined, parental education, age, interest in working with sick patients, and satisfaction with choosing pharmacy school. (MSE)

Results are reported of a survey of students and recent alumni of a college of pharmacy concerning their interest in and reasons for considering or not considering graduate education and their time of decision-making. (MSE)

A study of the impact of a self-directed contract learning course on participants' pre- and post-course scores on the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale, course evaluations, and student attitudes as reflected in diaries is reported, along with a discussion of the findings' significance for understanding self-directed learning. (MSE)

Essays by four community college chief executive officers (i.e., Michael E. Crawford, Donald L. Newport, Mary M. Norman, and Donald G. Phelps) suggest ways in which community colleges can implement programs and practices that will improve the position of the associate degree and the community college in American higher education. (DMM)

Discusses the problems that prevent journalism/mass communication from being fully accepted as an academic subject in its own right, and suggests several possibilities for remedying these problems. (HTH)

Setting minimum competency levels for teachers is a symptom of what is wrong with educational attitudes in the United States. Without an adequate commitment of education, and in light of the entrenched position of the educational establishment, the nation's stopgap efforts will not serve education's critical need for fundamental change. (PGD)

Explores the fluctuating but hierarchical nature of the educational roles and relationships between parent, teacher, and child. Suggests collaboration as an organizational alternative. (HTH)

Discusses the Canadian community colleges' quest for a status level reflecting their individual identities, objectives, aspirations, and quality measures distinct from universities. Looks at trends in public attitudes toward the community colleges, the organizational structures adopted, and ways community colleges can demonstrate their quality and…

"1984" and other works by George Orwell contain messages that are pertinent to teaching. Orwell left a teaching career for other work; his comments on teaching, rote learning, regimentation, and literature are discussed. (PP)

Interviews the coauthor of the controversial research report, "Catholic Schools in a Declining Church," which traces the changes in the Catholic population during the decade beginning with 1964, particularly the changing effects of Catholic education and the attitudes of American Catholics. (Editor/RK)

The following remarks were prepared by Judge John Sirica prior to suffering a heart attack. Although he was unable to address the convention, we feel his discussion of citizenship to be a most appropriate inclusion for this Bicentennial convention report. (Editor)

Looks at some of the awkward questions thrown up by special schools in the Soviet Union. (Editor/RK)

Background: The evidence is persuasive and consistent that families play a critical role in nurturing their children's educational growth. Family support for learning is important for all students, but it may be particularly important for children with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, amended in 2004, (IDEA) has a…

The 2004 Public Opinion Survey on Education in Indiana examined public perceptions on the following issues: (1) Overall Evaluation of Public Schools in Indiana; (2) School Funding; (3) Core 40 and the P-16 Plan; (4) ISTEP+; (5) School Choice and Charter; (6) Schools; (7) Teacher Quality; (8) No Child Left Behind Act and P.L. 221; and (9) The…