Three tensions inherent to how we govern, operate, and study schools are discussed: teacher autonomy versus educational equity; the measurement of school effectiveness, and the issue of who participates in the educational process. Suggestions for how policymakers, researchers, and practicioners might resolve their differences are made. (JL)

Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) is unsatisfactory: it is biased against the poor, and allows the government to control the poor. Evaluates Massachusetts' Employment and Training (ET) program, and New Jersey's Realizing Economic Achievement (REACH) program. Offers recommendations for REACH and for an improved Federal welfare program.…

Hispanic children are often considered ineligible for participation in programs for the gifted and talented because of identification procedures that rely heavily on tests which are inappropriate for use with Spanish-speaking children and because of the widespread acceptance of an essentially inaccurate definition of giftedness as synonymous with…

Evaluates "The Reading Report Card" and application of Reading Proficiency Scale to that report with 1984-85 data on reading ability in adults between ages 21 and 25. Also discusses reading trends in relation to different segments of population and in terms of where decreases and increases in reading ability have occurred between 1974…

Describes a program to improve the reading skills of primary and junior level students by encouraging parents to listen to their child reading at home for at least 20 minutes daily. Notes program results including improved reading development, better home-school relationships, and increased circulation for school and community libraries. (JHZ)

Wisconsin's guaranteed tax base equalization formula has no direct adjustment for the additional costs of educating poverty level pupils. This paper establishes the need for an adjustment and examines three measures (based on varying poverty definitions) to determine which provides the most equitable funding formula for educating poor children. (9…

The educational funding system in Massachusetts has become less equitable than before, since the passage of Proposition Two and a Half. A decision-making process driven by zero-sum economics, rather than educational needs, is particularly harmful to urban youth; failure to educate every young American threatens the nation's social and economic…

Educational innovations in France concerning the priority areas of education, the objectives of the college, procedures for pupil guidance, and the second long cycle are described. (RM)

Describes an anthropological and ethnographic study of writing and the shaping of consciousness in a junior high school, focusing on narrative and performative modes of literacy. Shows how Black and Puerto Rican students struggle with their writing in search of a voice that can express their lived experience in a partially hostile world. (RDN)

Assesses the effectiveness of Northwest Mississippi Junior College's 1984 Summer Youth Employment Training Program, which involved 133 disadvantaged learners between the ages of 14 and 21 in an eight-week educational program focusing on remediation in mathematics and communication skills, career exploration, and job-search skills. Reviews related…

Contains seven essays addressing the following topics: (1) Israeli youths' search for identity; (2) the Black Panthers of Israel; (3) cultural characteristics and group image of religious youth; (4) drug use among high school students; (5) Israeli youth movements; (6) proscriptive values in high school youth; and (7) disadvantaged youngsters in a…

An information systems approach to instruction to reduce freshman attrition at Morehead State University is described. The diagnostic-prescriptive approach to alleviate the cause and effect of developmental lag has provided an educational plan to ameliorate the low academic functioning of students and increase their intellectual development. (MLW)

Describes the developmental education program at Southeastern Louisiana State University and explains how it meets the needs of students who enter the university with inadequate academic preparation. Reports on a study that examined the students' self-concepts, attitudes toward reading, and learning styles. (FL)

Discusses studies showing that, contrary to the view overwhelmingly supported by research of over a decade and a half, some urban schools, through principal leadership, high teacher expectations, and rigorous academic programs, are able to raise the achievement of low-income students. (CMG)

A survey designed to investigate the causes of declining levels of student achievement indicated that (1) there has been an over-use of objective testing, (2) grade inflation is a serious problem, and (3) community colleges may have over-emphasized accommodation of unprepared students and under-emphasized cognitive learning. Recommendations to…