Four young men who had participated in the national competition of the Future Problem Solving (FPS) Program 10 years earlier offer reflections about their FPS experience. Their coach concludes that the program equips young people with the vision and skills needed to anticipate and solve problems and build better tomorrows. (JDD)

Discusses Ohio University's (Athens) U.S. history contest for high school students. Tabulates student scores; examines them in the areas of chronology, colonial history, constitutional amendments, and knowledge of recent events. Outlines the importance of the test to determine student competence in U.S. history. (RW)

This article discusses findings by pediatric psychologists studying destructive stress responses and other psychological costs of overdriven competitiveness in gifted students. Warning signs indicative of depression or antisocial withdrawal are described, as are contributing factors such as parental expectations. Suggestions for avoiding…

Three distinct eras of higher education are seen as characterizing the 200-year history of Williams College (Massachusetts): first as a Christian college, then as a gentleman's school, and, finally, as a consumer-oriented institution as part of a general trend toward consumerism after World War II resulting from social change and decline in the…

Proposes the organization of noncompetitive science fairs to create a more positive learning experience for children in the elementary grades. Describes methods of organizing and judging the fair, and provides a list of suggested resources for science fair projects. (MDH)

Explores three contexts of librarians' professional work and their impact on the link between librarians and their work: social and cultural forces, other competing occupations, and competing organizations and commodities. Concludes that the central challenge to the profession lies in embracing various information technologies and the groups that…

Differences between U.S. and Japanese school rules in relation to the different roles schools play in enculturating their students are examined. Japanese schools are allocated more responsibility in the moral education and discipline of children, but less responsibility in sorting students through academic competition. (MMU)

States that worker needs for appropriate skills, knowledge, and training are not being met by universities. Concludes that continuing education should fulfill three roles of education: training people for jobs, educating for professions, and providing a forum for the exchange of ideas. (SK)

Analyzes the mass media's role in creating a more competitive environment for schools following England's Education Reform Act. The media were supposed to help increase parental expectations and disseminate consumer information. Commercial motivations proved equally important. Schools received unprecedented attention, and the media became an…

Describes practices, programs, and policies that colleges and universities can use to collaborate on student recruitment, using the experience of the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities (Ohio) as illustration. Collaborative projects include development of written materials, recruitment events, presentations, joint trips or…

Examined Chinese kindergartners' play skills and, three years later, subjects' abilities to cooperate in competitive games. Found that although Chinese children conversed more than their American counterparts, who spent more time in social play, social contact scores were nearly identical across groups. Although social play strongly influenced…

Preferences for competitive and cooperative learning were explored in 176 gifted students (ages 9-17). A factor analysis partitioned competitive items into a desire to outperform others and as an energizing factor for learning. Different motivational correlates of cooperative/competitive factors also suggested the validly of a differentiated…

Discusses evolutionary stages in the education establishment's reaction to charter schools: stopping them cold, keeping them few and weak, competing with them, and accepting and using them. Charters are not revolutionary. They embody three time-tested features: community rootedness; resemblance to magnet and alternative schools; and institutional…

Investigates two links in the quasi-market for English secondary schools: (1) the link between attracting students to a school and financial rewards; and (2) the link between changes in student roll and the educational performance and social background of the students already at the school. Addresses the findings in detail. (CMK)

Discusses the process of corporate environmental learning whereby organizations learn to integrate environmental issues with business strategies. Examines the different ways organizations can learn to respond to environmental issues, the inputs to the learning process, and possible consequences of their actions using the theoretical framework of…