The Talkback Project used blog software to involve eighth-grade language arts students, preservice teachers, and parents in online discussion of young adult novels and their personal connections with them. The author shares the challenges associated with the project--including the implications of Internet safety and legal concerns associated with…

This article reviews implementation of the school choice and supplementary educational services provisions contained in the No Child Left Behind Act. School district progress, resistance, and obstacles to implementation are discussed and a number of practical remedies to improve implementation of school choice and supplemental educational services…

This report examines efforts by 12 formerly segregated states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia) to desegregate their higher education systems and increase educational opportunities for black and other minority students. It found that none of the…

Minorities constitute 26 percent of the U.S. population, but only 12 percent of higher education's full-time instructional faculty. Adequate representation of minority faculty in higher education is crucial, as they serve as mentors, communicate the possibility of success for minority students, and help develop a knowledge base on minority issues.…

This paper, which includes a substantial literature review, examines the perceived impact of the academic environment on the personal and professional opportunities of male and female faculty and addresses strategies to promote gender equity in the classroom. Survey data were gathered from a random sample of faculty at a southern postsecondary…

Since the passage of legislation requiring public colleges and universities to develop plans to increase the participation and advancement of underrepresented groups, the Illinois community colleges have used both special population grant funds and local college funds to address the needs of these groups. This report summarizes statewide…

This report attempts to assess the impact on affordable higher education in California of the state's "three strikes" law enacted early in 1994. The report estimates that, as written, the state would not only have to use all expected increased revenues but also find additional amounts to maintain the increased prison population. It…

Informal adult learning opportunities in Wyoming at the turn of the century were offered through popular lectures, newspaper articles, a traveling library, and the University of Wyoming's libraries and museums. Laramie City, one of the earliest towns to be established in Wyoming Territory, was home to a large concentration of formally educated…

This periodic compendium of environmental training opportunities includes information about educational opportunities for noncredit, and undergraduate through postgraduate studies around the world. The areas of study include the following: environmental education; environmental science; environmental management; Africa and global change;…

This report presents an analysis of graduation rates for the New York City public high schools for recent years. The analysis is based on cohort data published by the City Board of Education. Preoccupation with the dropout rate may obscure the more important fact that the graduation rate has not improved. The proportion of New York City public…

This report presents a second look at the effects of Minnesota's School District Enrollment Options Program, usually referred to as the Open Enrollment Program. This interdistrict enrollment program allows families and students to apply for enrollment in any school district other than the one in which they reside. This document focuses on the…

This paper examines the effects of spending variations among Missouri school districts on educational opportunity and quality. In an analysis of six matched pairs of Missouri school districts, each higher spending district was compared with a lower spending district of similar size. Data were derived from document analysis and interviews with the…

Twenty-four questions regarding school choice concerns are answered in this document, which advocates school choice in public schools for Massachusetts. The following issues are included: the rationale for school choice; drawbacks to currently available choice options; components of an effective choice plan; the definition and maintenance of…

This newsletter issue focuses on the roles played by higher education finance and student financial aid in ensuring broad access to higher education. Specifically, the report discusses trends in family income and college costs that affect the need for student aid. The report finds that income remains a primary determinant of students' educational…

Inequality problems face girls at school, and the attitudes and expectations of others affect educational choices and outcomes. After an overview in chapter 1, chapter 2 provides a discussion of Australian government reports and policies on the education of girls and traces the changes in the treatment of gender inequity. Chapter 3 focuses on the…