This unit was created as a result of a summer institute sponsored by the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. The Center's goal is to improve student learning of foreign languages in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12). To this end, the Center provides professional support for foreign language…

Technology education is a field of study which seeks to promote technological literacy for all students. Some recent research in the field has focused on integrating content and methodology from engineering design into technology education classes, particularly at the secondary level. This study contributes to the research base in technology…

An accurate and comprehensive study of college standards and resources has been needed for many years. Such a study should help college officers in one part of the country to evaluate credentials presented by students from institutions in other parts. It should assist parents to select wisely the institutions to which they shall send their…

Over the last decade, virtually every state has launched a school accountability program in response to public concern over failing schools. Proponents of school accountability argue that standards can energize school systems, by putting pressure on schools to help all students. After almost a decade of accountability reforms, content standards…

These minutes summarize the New Brunswick Forum for Action on Leadership in Career Development, which was the third in a series of provincial forums being conducted throughout Canada to stimulate dialogue among a spectrum of labor market partners and develop an action plan to support career development in Canada's provinces. The following items…

This special issue of the newsletter "BEOutreach" focuses on the theme of family literacy program design and implementation. Articles address these topics: the influence of language and literacy on relationships within families and between families and schools; innovative approaches to family literacy that emphasize excellence; examples of…

During the past 5 years, groundbreaking studies of adult literacy and literacy education have been conducted that can help policymakers and practitioners shape the next generation of adult literacy work in the United States. Among the topics examined in those studies were the following: relationship between literacy and economic well-being;…

This document consists of the three issues of the journal "Learning Languages" published during volume year 3. These issues contain the following major articles: "A National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL): A Brief History, 1987-1997;""Juguetes Fantasticos" (Mari Haas); "A Perspective on the Cultural…

Training preservice teachers to develop a predisposition toward constructivist instruction is a major goal for many faculty in teacher education. One critical attribute of a constructivist teacher is a strong hold on pedagogical content knowledge. This study examined the prior knowledge of preservice science teachers and how that knowledge aligned…

On September 5, 1986, the Elementary School Center convened a national, interdisciplinary group of respondents and observer-participants to debate the main issues raised in Secretary of Education Bennett's "First Lessons" and to note the areas which need additional attention. Respondents and observer-participants included public and…

This paper focuses on ways in which one state policy for improving education--standard-setting through testing mechanisms--affects the classroom teacher-learner relationship. That uniform policy-making is problematic is clear from observations of 43 Mid-Atlantic school district teachers. Responding to three types of standards, 45 percent found…

Extensive public concern about the deficiency in basic skills confirmed by a decline in standardized test scores and widespread implementation of a variety of state and local improvement programs indicates an urgent need for national attention to this timely issue. However, a federal testing program or federally-imposed performance standards are…

This paper, the fourth of a series, covers the impact of the Workers' Educational Association (WEA) on the field of adult education in England. The content is presented in four sections. The first one briefly covers the origins of the WEA. Section 2, a review of WEA's founding principles, concentrates on the objectives of working class…

A two-part study was conducted to investigate the underrepresentation of blacks in the medical and nursing professions. Through a literature search it was found that due to the low number of minority applicants medical schools have created positions for minority recruiters who serve as role models, empathize with black student concerns, and help…

In phase 1 of this study Illinois proprietary institutions were surveyed to identify their vocational program offerings; a directory of their offerings was published. In phase 2 Illinois proprietary school administrators were interviewed, and the data was analyzed to determine resources available, the institution's readiness for cooperation and/or…