The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether judgments of solo performances recorded at a well-known international piano competition would be affected by musical characteristics such as style (classic period versus early 20th-century Russian) and tempo (slow versus fast). Evaluators rated performances on six test items: tone quality, note…

Besides being a content expert, it is critical for today's museum educator to be a marketer, a collaborator, and to understand how people learn best in a museum environment. This article provides a list of six books that the author recommends as essential references for today's museum educator who must wear many hats. (Contains 3 notes.)

The Tour de Sol marked its 15th year in 2003. Sponsored by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), the annual event showcases varied sustainable transportation modalities through a contest that evaluates vehicles according to numerous criteria, including safety, handling, practicality, and fuel (energy) efficiency. The only unifying…

In this article, the author describes how his students competed in the Annual Remote-Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) Competition, sponsored by the Marine Advanced Technology Education Center of Monterey, California, in 2003. He describes how the Lyndhurst High School robotics team, which was composed of his students, learned a lot and had a…

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a multinational, not-for-profit organization that aspires to transform culture-making science, math, engineering, and technology as cool for kids as sports are today. FIRST has an exciting new program in the works--the VEX Challenge, which the author describes in this article.…

Americans are deeply concerned about their present and future prospects in a time of economic uncertainty. Policymakers have a make-or-break opening--and an obligation--to chart a new path for public education that will secure the nation's economic competitiveness. This guide summarizes the challenges and opportunities that, if left unaddressed,…

In this White Paper, the Business Roundtable recommends access to AMERICA 21, a 21st-century approach to lifelong learning for workers, as well as assistance for job dislocation. AMERICA 21 would channel funding from the myriad of existing initiatives into a modernized, streamlined system that leverages and builds on today's best private and…

Technological and vocational education has played a very important role in the development of Taiwan's economy. The purpose of this research is to examine the determinants of competitiveness with a focus on differences between public and private institutions in Taiwan's HTVE system. Determinants of internal and external factors were identified,…

This paper presents the annual report of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for 2008. 2008 was a year of profound accomplishments for FIRE. While some colleges continued to show an appalling disregard for the fundamental rights of students and faculty members, FIRE was able to secure groundbreaking victories for civil…

The main purposes of this study are: (a) to identify the constructs that may generate communication apprehension and to investigate how they influence communication apprehension and reduce the level of willingness to communicate; and (b) to explore the basic mentality underlying these constructs. The data were obtained from semi-structured…

Examining a popular political notion, this article presents results from a series of Spearman Rho calculations conducted to investigate relationships between countries' rankings on international tests of mathematics and science and future economic competitiveness as measured by the 2006 World Economic Forum's Growth Competitiveness Index (GCI).…

The American emphasis on utility and practicality in education was expanded over the course of the twentieth century, particularly in the development of community colleges with their dual mission of liberal arts education and vocational training. Because of their mission and their dependence on local funding and community requirements, two-year…

The U. S. high school system is in crisis, Wise argues. More than 1 million students drop out every year, significant numbers of college freshmen require remedial courses to handle college work, and employers consistently express disappointment in the skills of graduates. The high dropout rate and students' lack of preparedness carries…

The development of private higher education in China is an important area of policy concern and for academic research, especially under the conditions of globalization. This article reviews the current situation and forecasts the likely trend in several key areas, such as governmental regulation, funds and competition for enrolments. The article…

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama", as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…