Discusses the genesis and evolution of the California legislative mandate to teach critical thinking in every community college classroom. Defines critical thinking. Reviews steps included in the California colleges' plans for curriculum development. Considers pedagogical, affective, and transfer implications. Briefly describes two college…

Reports results of a survey of (n=106) university mathematics teachers' about their definitions of mathematics and their identification of up to 10 books that influenced the development of mathematics. Of the 12 conceptions of mathematics identified, formalistic, deductive, and modeling viewpoints predominated. (Contains 15 references.) (MKR)

Eight behavioral management terms/concepts commonly encountered in the special education literature are defined and discussed in terms of commonly occurring confusions. They are positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, extinction, differential reinforcement of other behavior, timeout, response cost, and overcorrection. (DB)

The idea that different meanings of "quality" in higher education (meritocratic, social, and individualistic) may influence the assessments of college presidents of their institutions is explored. These three dimensions are combined in a model that allows a more complex view of institutional quality. (MSE)

Literacy is a cultural construct, and the dominant view of literacy reflects only dominant values and assumptions. There are many kinds of "literacies," and the Great Divide theory that illiterate people are fundamentally separate from literate people is being rejected in current policy debates. (SK)

Literacy issues are discussed that affect Canadians age 15 and older who are barely literate in any language. Topics include the following: definitions of literacy; policy overviews and surveys; the impact of literacy on Canadian institutions; access for literacy learners; adult learning and classroom practice; and the plain language movement. (76…

Literacy in francophone Africa, where literacy is still a privilege, is reviewed in terms of the complex linguistic situation, effects of population change, concepts and definitions of literacy, promotion of literacy in adult nonformal settings (e.g., African language literacy materials, multilingual settings). (23 references) (LB)

This article introduces four papers (and responses to them) originally given at an April 1990 conference on the identification and treatment of dyslexia. Noted is the lack of consensus on what dyslexia is, how the condition comes to be, and what the nature of educational intervention ought to be, though developmental views are seen to predominate.…

The new kinds of teaching required to implement curriculum reforms like the California Curriculum Frameworks are incompletely defined and impossible to learn in quick-fix workshops. Teachers need to have "instructional conversations" with students that engage their interest, focus on a definite subject, and encourage full participation…

Implications of the term "gifted," including that of unjustified and unearned privilege, are considered in the context of findings on intelligence development, self-efficacy, education, prevalence, and the importance of labels. Five policy options are considered including abandoning the term and using performance rather than aptitude to organize…

Defines school-based management as a form of school district organization based on internal growth and development, rather than outside expertise. Roving leadership, an exciting alternative to top-down management, is issue-oriented and shifts responsibility according to key individuals' specific talents, skills, and abilities. Benefits are…

Strategic planning provides a comprehensive, systematic, and flexible approach to charting direction. Lists an eight-step process and questions for strategic planning. Emphasizes the role of architects in strategic planning. (five references) (MLF)

Discusses different aspects of "environmental design" that include environmentally conscious architectural design, site planning, energy efficiency, home furnishings, and choice of construction materials for health and environmental benefits. (MCO)

This article reports the results of policy research survey examining U.S. government strategies to obtain data on counts of children who are deaf-blind and the issues related to this effort and its outcomes. Problems frequently cited were varying definitions of deaf-blindness among states and lack of accurate data on etiology and severity. (JDD)

This paper on performance assessment of children with disabilities clarifies terminology, proposes a set of critical issues for discussion, outlines historical and current trends, examines reasons for current interest in performance assessment, and reviews problems and considerations in performance assessment. (JDD)