Discussion of FLES (foreign languages in elementary schools) programs in the United States looks at their history, current status within and outside the United States, important FLES issues (long-range planning, teacher qualifications and recruitment, delivery models, mandated programs, research needs, teaching methods) and importance to the…

Reports on a study of 135 Russian and 279 U.S. teachers on the importance of 11 broad educational goals. Finds that U.S. teachers were most committed to basic skills development and critical thinking. Finds that Russian teachers were most supportive of interpersonal understanding, human relations, and ethical well-being. (CFR)

Asked 3,200 Peruvian graduating secondary students to explain their choice concerning whether to attend college. Reveals human capital theory's limited applicability, showing only wealthier urban boys used cost effectiveness in their decision. Relates the heterogeneity of higher education demand factors to inherent limits in Latin American…

Critiques the Bush Administration's "America 2000" education initiative, in particular the call for national testing as a major tool for student assessment and education reform. Discusses the difficulty of designing accurate instruments, the drain on resources for other needs, and the ineffectiveness of testing as an agent for reform.…

Interviews Wisconsin high school economics teachers, cited for their teaching excellence, to discover methods used to correct students' misconceptions about economics. Covers opportunity cost, supply and demand, money creation, and gross national product. Finds teachers were adept at using germane examples, showed more confidence teaching…

An interview with the federal secretary of education, Richard W. Riley, covers the new administrator's policy goals, strategies for educational reform, perceptions of the federal role in education, approaches that differ from previous administrations', solutions for disadvantagement, and attitudes about free speech. (MSE)

Reviews the information-processing approach to problem solving to apply research findings to cooperative problem solving in social studies classes. Provides examples of how experts and novices solved problems in a study on domestic Soviet affairs. Delineates a problem-solving instructional strategy by explaining nine guidelines that employ…

Proposes combining productive labor of students and classroom instruction in a unified labor school system in the Soviet Union. Sees this educational reform as necessary for Soviet economic development. Identifies research needs and advocates establishing research centers specifically to initiate and organize this proposed integration. (CH)

The article describes how a Virginia urban school system implemented an outcome-oriented work transition process with approximately 230 trainable or severely/profoundly handicapped students (ages 16-21). The article describes the system, students, and staff; developing a formal transition process; the individualized transition plan; and the job…

Maintains that since the start of the AIDS epidemic disease prevention efforts have assumed a relatively unproblematic relationship with pedagogy, identity, and the anticipated outcomes of health promotion initiatives. Argues that there is a need to take account of a diverse range of subject positions and identities in future interventions. (MJP)

A law school course in advanced corporate legal practice is described. The course, a series of simulated lawyering tasks centered on a hypothetical leveraged buyout transaction, is designed to go beyond basic legal analysis to develop professional expertise in legal problem solving. The course description includes goals, syllabus design,…

Maintains that radical shifts in employment, technology, and education place a new emphasis on individual effort and responsibility. Argues that these circumstances mandate a more in-depth and widespread adoption of student self-evaluation. Posits self-evaluation models for elementary and junior high school grades. (MJP)

Maintains that art education curriculum actually consists of four different curricula. These curricula reflect the administration's policy guidelines, the teachers' classroom instruction, the students' interest and influence, and the effects of national competitions. Argues for a single curriculum incorporating input from the teachers and the…

Proposes an extension of the arts education/business community relationship moving beyond issues of patronage and support. Maintains that the complexity of the 21st-century economy and society will be well served by the flexibility and creativity manifested in arts education. Recommends national goals and standards for arts education. (MJP)

Defends the history National Standards as an excellent and inclusive guide to the broad topics and themes appropriate to a U. S. history course. Nonetheless, characterizes the Standards as pedagogically conservative. Recommends an alternative approach emphasizing critical thinking and interdisciplinary instruction. (MJP)