Clarifies concept of educational quality from international perspective, provides an illustrative range of definitions, and examines some difficulties in implementing "quality" for assessment and planning purposes. Defining quality is linked to the diversity, conflicts, and power divisions within society. Full consensus on the specifics…

Looks at the effect of the communications revolution and how media and people are coming together. The changing roles and responsibilities of teachers are discussed in light of this revolution. (Contains 27 references.) (Author/KRN)

The curricula of black colleges and universities have long been limited by financial constraints, but they have also been hampered by narrow definitions that focused on manual and vocational instruction. This emphasis grew from the assumption of black inferiority that had been used to justify slavery. (SLD)

A discussion of economic and social arguments that advance adult literacy is followed by a review of definitions of literacy, issues of literacy instruction, issues of language, and issues of assessment and evaluation. (91 references) (LB)

Current research on the basic characteristics of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (childhood hyperactivity) is reviewed, and a critique of the most recent classification system is given. The current definition ignores important distinctions among the attention deficit disorders. Primary symptoms and associated adjustment problems are…

This current response to a reprinted 1968 article by Ray Barsch (EC 602 662) focuses on legal aspects of learning disabilities, especially problems in implementing IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and continuing controversies concerning definition, evaluation, instructional intervention, and placement or service delivery…

From a survey of Arizona teachers/administrators and observations in two elementary schools concerning the role of external testing, a typology of teacher orientation toward preparing students to take high-stakes achievement tests is identified. Eight categories of teachers' approaches are contrasted with meanings of test preparation held by other…

Clarifying the meaning of principal effectiveness as a point of departure in the development of an appraisal system in Connecticut is discussed, focusing on the reasons for an appraisal system, how effectiveness should be defined, where to find relevant information, and how best to organize such information. (SLD)

Since the U.S. has no strong centralized educational program, the drive for systemic change is proceeding more slowly and unsystematically than in Japan or France. Systemic reform strategies must emphasize building schools' capacity for self-renewal. Getting from uniformly high standards to diverse delivery systems is the challenge. Marshall…

Explores why mental health has been a contested issue in Head Start and describes recent efforts to bring mental health closer to the center of the program agenda. Describes areas of challenge and innovation that might further the program goal of improving the well-being of parents and children in poverty. Concludes with recommendations for…

Profiles a class exercise that teaches the importance of developing an accurate definition of a psychological construct (guilt, control, altruism). The more precise the definition, the easier it is to choose an appropriate technique to measure that construct. Discusses the Health and Psychosocial Instrument File, a recent measurement database.…

Educators should jettison organization-theory definitions of technology as "neutral." Technology helps steer institutions' organizational assumptions, and should be co-opted to educational ends. Outlining specific strategies, a case study suggests how a professional-development unit might provide leadership in a "knowledge…

A survey of 171 individuals, including individuals from government, university, school division/districts, parent, and community groups, found that teachers are the primary agents for identifying youth at risk; formal assessments of youth at-risk are conducted by school psychologists or other psychologists; and early identification of students…

Plagiarism is certainly not new to academics, but it may be on the rise with easy access to the vast quantities of information available on the Internet. Students researching on the Internet do not have to take handwritten or typewritten notes. They can simply print out or copy and save whatever they find. They are even spared the tedium of having…

Scientific and technical jargon--specialized vocabulary, usually Latinate--plays a vital role in scientific and technical communication. But its proper use continues to be a point of discussion because of our concern with audience adaptation, rhetorical exigence, rhetorical purpose, and ethics. We've focused on teaching students--and on convincing…