The Local Education Agency Universe Dropout and Completion Data File: School Years 1991-92 through 1996-97 is a one-time only file that contains agency dropout and completion data and rates for school years 1991-92 through 1996-97. Previous to the creation of this file, agency dropout and completion data were available on the Local Education…

Despite calls for greater agreement in defining the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), terms that resemble SoTL are proliferating. An NSF-sponsored center for teaching and learning coined its own term, "teaching-as-research" (TAR), believing it would resonate better with research-active scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. To…

The products of modern biotechnology processes such as genetic engineering, DNA testing and cloning will increasingly impact on society. It is essential that young people have a well-developed scientific understanding of biotechnology and associated processes so that they are able to contribute to public debate and make informed personal…

This paper discusses the conceptual foundations for "Education for Sustainable Patterns of Living," the mission of the Center for Ecoliteracy in California. It offers an operational definition of ecological sustainability, and proposes study of living systems as a framework for understanding ecology. It considers key concepts for…

This article presents working definitions of efficiency, accountability, and quality, offering a framework in which an individual institution can make idiosyncratic use of these definitions, suggests tools for managing educational processes with respect to these three attributes, and presents examples of how institutions have improved efficiency,…

The opinion in this paper is that there is a need to reexamine the meaning of constructivism in an age where the concept has come to mean different things to different people. This paper examines one person's understanding of constructivism in order to uncover multiple meanings of the term in ways that ultimately affect teachers' practice in K-12…

The Leadership-Culture Dimensional Screening Scale (LCDSS) measures the relationship between frontier and settlement school cultures; transactional and transformational leadership styles; and the four work roles (supervisor, administrator, manager, and leader) formed by the intersection of the model's culture and leadership dimensions. This…

This paper describes the selection process of 17 articles for inclusion in the book, "Classic Writings on Instructional Technology." The book brings together original "classic" educational technology articles into one volume to document the history of the field through its literature. It is also an attempt to make available…

Little academic research has examined what public relations actually does for an organization. A study explored definitions of effectiveness in public relations and the value of effective communication. Interviews with 32 practitioners and 10 organization heads revealed numerous definitions of effectiveness, most having to do with achieving…

The development of a "global village" strongly demands the ability of intercultural sensitivity between people for survival in the 21st century. Due to current lack of study on the subject, this paper aims to: (1) provide a conceptualization of intercultural sensitivity; (2) specify the role intercultural sensitivity plays in…

When one wants to set data reliability standards for a class of scientific inquiries or when one needs to compare and select among many different kinds of data with reliabilities that are crucial to a particular research undertaking, then one needs a single reliability coefficient that is adaptable to all or most situations. Work toward this goal…

This essay examines the nature of scholarship in today's higher education institutions and seeks to develop an inclusive and constructive definition. The paper argues that because modern academe has adopted a destructively narrow and often obscure definition of scholarship, we lack the clear approach necessary for curricular balance and…

Basic information about the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is presented in a question-and-answer format. The following questions are addressed: "What is the purpose of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?"; "Why is the ADA needed?"; "How is disability defined by the ADA?"; "What does the ADA…

This book contains background information and extensive appendices to be used for the purpose of enrolling in an Indian tribe. Chapter 1, "Why Enroll in an Indian Tribe?" explains that enrollment in a tribe often determines eligibility of American Indians for certain government programs (including educational programs). Chapter 2, "Who is an…

Taking a global perspective, this yearbook presents an overview and analysis of key issues and trends in the field of international literacy. The book integrates a psychological and cultural approach to advance a new method of analyzing literacy concepts designed to set up linkages between childhood literacy and adult literacy, between literacy…