A study of need and strategies for higher education reform in East Central Europe is summarized. The study was based on separate studies in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, each from the perspective of those involved in the systems. Research/development policy, government role, funding, faculty, and international collaboration…

Describes the mechanisms of deindustrialization, identifies the implications of this social and economic change for the central city as a whole and for urban schools in particular, and considers what these implications mean for urban schools and urban students. (SLD)

Analyzes the structural and thematic elements of three stories written by a sixth-grade Navajo girl to challenge the notion that a linear pattern of growth is followed by all children as they learn to write stories. The results question the assumption that certain kinds of narratives and their American Indian authors are less able or less…

Maintains that, among black and white men born between 1907 and 1946, family background accounts for at least half the variance in educational attainment. Reports on a study of 14,711 males to determine the educational attainments of men and their brothers among blacks and whites across time. (CFR)

Presents a classroom activity that features a mock hearing on environmental issues before an international court. Asserts that international cooperation is necessary if the world is to avert environmental disaster. Provides role descriptions for the witnesses and step-by-step instructional procedures. (CFR)

Reports on a study of 815 elementary and secondary students and adults on the types of evidence referred to in art historical interpretation. Finds that participants referred to four general types of evidence: (1) artist; (2) viewer; (3) culture; and (4) perception. (CFR)

An educator reflects on preservice teachers in his class who were concerned with issues of interpersonal relations and classroom dynamics but not with socioeconomic, intercultural, and political contexts of education. Nevertheless, there were some faculty and students involved in urban schools bringing reconstructionist ideas of education for…

Factors that influence precollege decision making were investigated, through case studies of three rural gifted female college students. Participants saw themselves as intelligent, independent, outspoken, and goal-directed, and expected to be involved in dual career and partnership relationships. Career decisions, family support, and time…

Contends that cooperative learning techniques lead to more student self-direction and active participation in the learning process. Reports on the experiences of three teachers using cooperative learning. Concludes that cooperative learning helps teach democratic principles and respect for cultural diversity. (CFR)

Researchers observed relationships between exposure to home electronic technologies and classroom disposition and performance in secondary school students. Interviews to determine computer literacy and use suggested that successful performance and richness of technological environment correlated with declared home computer use. Home use did not…

Excerpts from the ruling of federal district court Judge Harold L. Murphy outline steps that Alabama should take to desegregate its public colleges, and include comments on why many white students do not attend black colleges, the transfer of programs from white to historically black institutions, and use of scholarships to attract white students…

State policies toward higher education in the twenty-first century are likely to continue in the patterns already established, though conflicts may intensify. State officials will need to be more sensitive to how policies affect institutions. Institutional representatives must recognize the legitimacy and priority of state, societal, and system…

Examines the experiences of ethnic Koreans and the Korean language in Japan since 1945, focusing on Japanese attitudes toward Koreans and the Korean language, provisions for Korean and bilingual education, and the increasing influence of Koreans in Japanese society. (18 references) (MDM)

A study investigated the relationship of social interaction and learning among women college students in a supplemental instruction program for science featuring a collaborative classroom structure. It was found that this culture of community and cooperation promoted intellectual risk-taking and connected understanding of concepts. Some new ways…

Summarizes problems and concerns expressed in this special issue devoted to child poverty. Examines child poverty under the broader context of wealth and power, presenting it in a historical perspective. Suggests that children raised in poverty experience more than the simple stress and strains of living on the margins. Discusses current problems…