Noting that in practice, educational research highlighting the negative effects of tracking and ability grouping is often ignored, this book examines the implications of tracking and presents alternatives to this instructional policy. Divided into four sections, the chapters discuss tracking as a systematic barrier to all children, explore the…

This study utilized illuminative, ethnographic evaluation to examine the range and complexity of minority student programming at the six public institutions of higher education in Washington, namely Evergreen State College, Eastern Washington University, Central Washington University, Western Washington University, Washington State University, and…

In 1991 West Virginia's governor announced a 10-year statewide plan that would close 245 schools, primarily in poor, small, and rural communities, and replace them with larger, more "efficient," more urban facilities. The controversy surrounding West Virginia school closings stems from the clash of two sets of beliefs and values. The…

This practicum sought to develop a video-based orientation program for a day care center. A one-time orientation meeting was not feasible for this community college-based center, due to flexible scheduling, staggered starting dates of new staff, and a diverse staff. An increase in staff size, space, and enrollment intensified the already difficult…

Education is constantly criticized for its "failures"--its "failure" to produce literate graduates, its "failure" to prepare students for the jobs of future technology, and its "failure" to reduce unemployment and establish equity for all students. However, these "failures" are not solely those of…

A survey of Massachusetts high school students in March 1989 compared and contrasted vocational-technical high school students with other high school students (college preparatory and general studies) in four major areas: decision to enroll in vocational-technical or in other programs, high school experiences, post-high school plans and career…

A great discrepancy exists between the potential number of adult basic education (ABE) participants (all adults who have not graduated from high school) and those who actually choose to participate in ABE. To determine why high school dropouts choose not to participate in ABE, telephone interviews were conducted with a carefully constructed,…

Leaders in the field of early care and education identified five main problems in the training of early care and education providers. These problems were: (1) a shortage of trainees: (2) limited access to training; (3) lack of agreement on the content of the training; (4) lack of consistent certification standards and models of professional…

In a national effort to derive an empirical data base for establishing rural education research priorities, 273 general educators and 188 special educators representing public schools (180), colleges/universities (137), and other agencies (137) ranked 46 specific research questions clustered around the issues of rural school effectiveness,…

Described as an "action" document, this guide for the development of high school English programs emphasizes the processes of curriculum development, rather than the product, and strongly advocates local control over curriculum development. Part I suggests the following five-step procedure for developing new curricula and for revising/updating…

A survey examined the attitudes of reading teachers to determine how teachers felt about (1) their undergraduate education in reading and their undergraduate reading instructors, (2) any graduate instructors or professional reading educators, and (3) their own teaching strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the study investigated the attitudes of…

The social stratification process is analyzed from a theoretical point of view, with assumptions tested with empirical evidence from the International Institute for Educational Planning project in developing countries or with information obtained through the researcher's prior studies on industrialized countries. The significant, and often…

Questionnaires were administered to the 2,404 members of the 1984 graduating class of the Mesa Public Schools (Arizona) to aid in planning and implementation of programs and policies suited to the variety of student needs in the school system. Subjects were selected from five high schools. The questionnaire survey, which is part of an ongoing…

These conference proceedings include a conference schedule, numerous photographs from the conference and from its events, and these papers: "Role of Literature as a Source of History, Values and Identity" (keynote address, Edna Ahgeak MacLean); "Motivating Young People to Succeed" (Howard Rainer); "Empowering Minority…

A study gathered followup information on the 1983-84 graduates of Oregon community college vocational students. Of the 83 percent of the graduates who were either employed or pursuing further education, 73 percent were doing so in areas related to the training they had received while enrolled in the community college program. Female graduates…