Two position papers by the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD) present (1) the core competencies needed by regular and special education teachers who work with children with learning disabilities, and (2) recommendations for operationalizing the five constructs underlying the NJCLD definition of learning disabilities for…

This article critically analyzes available definitions of learning disability. The general problem of definition is discussed first, followed by a discussion of individual definitions from the earliest to the latest. It is concluded that the definitions fail to provide substantive insight into the nature of the condition. (Contains extensive…

Discusses what is to come in research on literacy in secondary schools. Connects interest in secondary school literacy to the content area reading movement and points to cognitive psychology as the primary conceptual basis for recent work. Explains why it is important to consider an even more shifting definition that locates the social and…

Explains two problems of the postmodern era-fragmentation (disintegration of social, economic, and political institutions) and symbolic consumption. Discusses two postmodernist epistemological challenges to educational marketers-anti-foundationalism and poststructuralism. Transactional views of marketing must yield to relational and interactive…

The point of all the services, accommodations, and modifications required by California and federal law is equity. Every child, regardless of disability, has the right to access the same opportunities as nondisabled kids. Schools' highest priorities should be to ensure a quality curriculum and provide continuous and individual assessment to…

This article discusses the movement toward focusing on the individual rather than the disabling condition when referring to people with disabilities and contrasts acceptable and unacceptable terminology for people with different types of disabilities. The terms "impairment,""disability," and "handicap" are defined. (CR)

This article presents a contextual picture of the learning disabilities (LD) field in Portugal, where the public school failure rate is approximately 37% and 29% in primary and secondary systems, respectively. The need for a clear educational and legislative definition of LD, changes in assessment and treatment models, and improved personnel…

Accountability policy research relies on systems theory, objectivism, and logical empiricism to identify learning performance indicators. Policy knowledge production should permit a more holistic, causally interdependent view of teaching, learning, and leadership services. Presents an accountability policy methodology stressing formative…

This article documents the wide variation in terminology used by the U.S. Department of Education and the 50 states in gathering data on deaf and hard-of-hearing children and in determining eligibility for services. Recommendations for achieving uniformity in defining and applying the terms "deaf" and "hard of hearing" are…

Reviews the problems of benevolent misdiagnosis in the mental health professions. Misrepresentation of research or diagnosis now has the potential to affect the health care services delivered to large segments of the population. Data that will be the basis of new delivery systems must be accurate and responsible. (SLD)

Addresses persistent tensions among centralized school governance structures. Examines the literature's claims for devolution's positive benefits and shortcomings and proposes more realistic expectations. Discusses the relationship between devolution and improved teaching and learning. Reconceptualizes devolution and proposes a preliminary…

Carried out case study of a needs analysis in a childcare center established as a cooperative venture by a women's group in Ireland. Revealed how "professional" criteria, if applied too rigidly, can not only subvert the initial purposes of the development but also produce divisions within a group whose cohesiveness of purpose was…

Presents a conceptualization for the competence of child care directors based on knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Describes the Illinois Director Credential, earned through validation of accomplishments in five competency components: general education, early childhood/school-age knowledge and skills, management knowledge and skills, experience,…

Many urban schools should be called cafeterias, recreation centers, or community centers, because more time is spent eating, playing, and socializing than on teaching and learning. "Schools" are day camps with compliant attendees or custodial centers with involuntarily managed inmates. Teacher effectiveness turns solely on classroom-management…

This article describes a continuum of definitions of giftedness from conservative to liberal and discusses how these definitions relate to the development of the 3-ring conception of giftedness. In this definition, above average ability, task commitment, and creativity are seen as 3 interactive clusters of traits that gifted students may exhibit.…