The success or failure of educational reform is discussed using Public Law 94-142 as a case study. Constraints on reform arise from the dominant ideology. Education is fundamentally a dependent institution, and efforts to reform it become an attempt to resolve issues in the broader social domain. (FG)

A survey of 30 National Catholic Educational Association Schools examined their ability to make needed program changes according to Davis' eight factors: Awareness of Need, Resistances, Values, Information, Ability, Timing, Circumstances, and Yield. This article compares a vital, growing school and a declining one on these eight factors.…

A study sought to examine factors affecting teacher acceptance of an instructional unit on international agriculture. Teachers were in significant agreement that the factors affecting teacher nonuse of the new unit during the two-month period immediately following its receipt were scheduling considerations. (LRA)

An approach to the problem of acceptance of innovations based on decision theory is outlined using illustrations drawn from educational contexts. The practical implications of this approach are indicated in relation to codifying or programing innovative decisions, training decision makers, and implementing innovative projects. (Author/KC)

This article traces the development of community education in Hawaii, focusing on efforts to disseminate the concept, to gain state support, and to secure funding. Part of a theme issue on community education. (SJL)

A model of the organizational dynamics of innovation in adult basic education (ABE) agencies was developed and tested wherein innovation was measured by a composite index of innovative instructional and administrative practices. It was concluded that organizational variables (size, differentiation of staff roles, reliance on professional…

Reviews recent publications criticizing the idea that the intellectual development of U.S. democracy was influenced by the political organization of the Iroquois Confederacy. Points out the authors' ignorance of relevant historical texts and their efforts to relate the idea to the "culture wars" over multicultural education. Suggests a…

Examines the findings of a study evaluating the practice of an adoption reunion registry in British Columbia. Suggests that active searches often result in reunions that are experienced positively by the vast majority of both adoptees and birth parents. Highlights some of the key issues that are important for consideration in the development of…

Traces the history of self-help in the African American community, with emphasis on services and programs for children. Claims that the traditions of self-help are very much alive in the African American community, and are manifest in a range of activities. Illustrates contemporary models of self-help from the example of one adoption agency. (MOK)

Analyzed data from two data sets in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Wave I to identify discrepancies between in-school questionnaire and in-home interview results. Identified a group of "jokester" adolescents likely to have identified themselves as adoptees, when they were not. Found evidence suggesting that this…

Discusses how child welfare law and practice have promoted the traditional "anonymous infant model." Describes the situation of informal kinship care widespread within the African American community and the potential of extended family members as a resource for at-risk children. Highlights positive developments in policy and practice…

Books can inform, reassure, and give young children the vocabulary to talk about adoption. This article presents and examines the language used to talk about adoption in eleven current children's books. Discusses surrogacy, adoption, "natural" parents, grief, "chosen-baby" stories, age at adoption, international adoption,…

Provides "adoption awareness" for early childhood educators and offers practical suggestions for working with adoptive parents and their children. Includes a list of adoption resources and consultants, along with a collection of suggested adoption books for young children. (Author/EV)

Discussion of the use of technology in classrooms focuses on the use of television for foreign language distance education in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. The experiences of two teachers are shared to show how teachers adopt and integrate technology in the classroom. (LRW)

Responses to a paper on increasing the quality of and demand for research findings in education include opinions of individuals representing the American Federation of Teachers, the Learning Disabilities Association, the National Alliance of Business, the National Association of State Directors of Special Education; and the Disability Policy…