Information on writing competitions for elementary and secondary grade students is provided including the Future Problem Solving Program, the Scenario Writing Program, the Ann Arlys Bowler Poetry Contest, and the "Kids Are Authors" contest. Summarizes four references for young authors on getting published. (DB)

Examines the relationship between market concentration/competition and black employment in urban centers, using Equal Employment Opportunity Commission data. Overall, black employment positively relates to greater market concentration, not competition. There is little support for the contention that economic forces at work in competitive markets…

Correlational analyses of data from 126 Chinese business students in 32 learning groups showed that groups with cooperative goals engaged in more constructive controversy. Those with competitive or independent goals had fewer open discussions. Groups engaged in constructive controversy rated themselves as more innovative and loyal. (Contains 31…

Asserting that state control over Ontario's higher education has been strengthened with the use of market mechanisms, outlines seven major higher education policy changes that make use of market mechanisms while enhancing state control. Suggests that marketization is a compromise between privatization, academic autonomy, and blatant state control…

Investigated changes in how people like themselves and their partners after working together. Findings from eight male pairs and eight female pairs revealed that competitors liked themselves and their partners less than non-competitors (p<.01). Significant sex differences, especially a male "loser effect" were also found. (Author/NB)

Individuals from homes in which competitiveness is valued, modeled, and rewarded tend to be more competitive than individuals from less competitive homes. Competitiveness of individuals and their home environments varied significantly according to the field of talent, with the psychomotor fields being the most competitive. (RH)

Sixty-seven gifted young adolescents responded to a scenario in which a student was successful in either a competitive or a non-competitive, individualistic situation. Responses indicated that the subjects perceived greater continuing motivation, attribution of success to effort, and learning for the student in the individualistic scenario.…

Faculty members have a legitimate interest in the amount of budgetary appropriations devoted to salaries and the rank of those appropriations among other institutional priorities. Faculty must protect academic affairs from peripheral activities and must examine the manner in which priorities are developed. (MLW)

A system of separable and transferable property rights to attend a particular public school would allow families to buy into a better public school without having to buy a house in the local school's attendance zone. The system should increase competition among schools and accountability. Renters are omitted from the discussion. Includes 15…

Describes contraints on reading instruction, such as basal readers, assessment methods, and academic competition in the classroom. Presents a motivational agenda for improving reading instruction that removes the focus on ego and extrinsic goals and stresses self-appraisal and development of positive attitudes. Includes 45 references. (MLH)

A comparative study of competitive trait anxiety (CTA) among university male and female varsity athletes supports the proposed relationship of fear of failure and of evaluation to CTA, but suggests that the pattern of this relationship varies across age, gender, sport, and other variables. (JD)

Members of Congress charge that some universities are selling the results of federally financed research to foreign companies while they argue for more research money to increase American competitiveness in world markets. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology program is criticized for impropriety in sharing information too freely. (MSE)

Discusses study findings of the "Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes in Child Care Centers" that support the position that efforts of center directors to provide quality childcare services are often undermined by purchasing practices of parents and public agencies. (DR)

This study found that use of music as a reinforcer was highly effective in increasing productive and decreasing nonproductive behavior of 6 competitive swimmers (ages 12-16) during the dry-land portion of a practice session. Subjects rated the musical reinforcement favorably and elected to have the procedure continued. (Author/DB)

This article describes the City of London Polytechnic Mathematics Competition for Inner London Secondary Schools. The question design policy is specified, and examples of tie-breaker questions are given. (Author/JDD)