Educational improvements should not depend on "heroic" efforts. Administrators need to develop ways to support innovation systematically. Four conditions are important for facilitating improvement: (1)available time, (2) cushions against interference, (3) encouragement, and (4) recognition of the need for incorporation. (MD)

At the core of evaluating school outcome is a clear goal statement and the ability to gather important and appropriate information. This process must not be left to chance. Able school leaders develop congruent testing and feedback activity for each phase of the school year cycle. Information is then used to build a framework for school…

Illustrates how conventional education has contributed to the fragmentation of life into divisions of "us" and "them" while problems such as environmental destruction and the threat of nuclear war require concerted action. Describes holistic education as an alternative, examining it in relation to three curriculum positions: transmission,…

Discusses the development of social studies in Alberta (Canada), detailing its evolution through four stages since the early nineteenth century. Describes changes that occurred as Alberta moved from private control to an independent province. Examines European and U.S. influences, and explores how economic development has affected educational…

Presents a history of the latest revolution in higher education, emphasizing the importance of increasing free market forces in institutional policy formation and the development of new management capabilities within academe. Discusses historiographic considerations and curriculum transitions, suggesting relevant considerations for the formation…

This annotated international bibliography on art education and creativity includes references to general educational theory; aesthetics, philosophy, and sociology; historical developments; curriculum practices, assessment and evaluation, and guidelines and policies; reports and databases; and journals and periodicals. Each section is categorized…

States that the academic course of study in secondary schools has changed only modestly since the late nineteenth century. Illustrates this point by examining changes in the mid-1800s curriculum of the Cambridge, Massachusetts, High School. Includes tables which show the high school's course of study during the period. (GEA)

Ralph W. Tyler reviews five significant events in the field of curriculum development: (1) work of Edward Thorndike, (2) John Dewey's monograph on interest and effort in education, (3) the 26th yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, (4) the formation of the Society for Curriculum Study in 1930, and (5) curriculum experiments…

The Minimum Requirement Program (MRP) was introduced in Israel in the 1960s but was discontinued. The Parenthesis Program, a 1962 revision of the original program, restricted objectives in the syllabus which were deemed too difficult. Achievement gaps between population subgroups existed in the 1980s when a new MRP was developed. (GDC)

The Motilal Nehru School of Sports in India has a three-fold mission: (a) students will be dedicated to improving Indian society and societies throughout the world; (b) students will be prepared for Indian and foreign universities; and (c) students will develop their bodies and represent India in international athletic competitions. (MD)

Reviews Carl F. Kaestle's 1983 book, "Pillars of the Republic: Common Schools and American Society, 1780-1860." Maintains that this work synthesizes and refocuses both old and new interpretations of the political and institutional history of the common school before 1860 in the United States. (JDH)

The American College Testing Program (ACT) aims to provide programs and services that assist students in informed educational and career decision making. A variety of ACT programs and services are described, including ACT Asset and Discover. (Author/MLW)

The main concepts of dependency theory are outlined and its essential elements considered. Leading contributions to comparative education that have proceeded from the standpoint of dependency theory are discussed and the value of dependency theory for comparative analysis of education is assessed. (RM)

The Chinese tradition in higher education and the challenge it presents to its modernizers are discussed. German, American, and French higher education projects in China in the early decades of the 20th century are analyzed comparatively to see how far and in what ways they contributed to Chinese educational modernization. (RM)