It is thought that when college education is viewed only as a consumer product, it may suffer the same fate as television programing, which continues to diminish in quality as it strives to conform to public taste. The attitudes and experiences of St. John's College are examined. (Author/MLW)

The New Jersey Education Association feels that the state proposal to set minimum graduation competencies would reduce the range of high school course offerings, erode local control of schools, and limit student opportunity. A text of the proposed state regulation is included. (SJL)

Dominican College's colloquia consist of courses from diverse disciplines clustered around a central topic or great figure from history, emphasizing the interrelatedness of all areas of knowledge. Opportunities for student involvement and the need for faculty development are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Two-year ethnographic study with 25 working-class, 9th-and 10th-grade, black and Latino/Latina students to examine how they interpret and negotiate college-going processes. Findings suggest three interrelated strategies of negotiations: (1) challenging negative perceptions and expectations of urban youth; (2) "passing" academic…

A new liberal arts core curriculum for the twenty-first century is proposed, including four elements: global studies, self-reliance skills, interdisciplinary thinking skills, and selected traditional studies. The approach, being tried in a number of American colleges, addresses flaws in the existing liberal arts curriculum. (MSE)

The article summarizes and comments on the publication, "A Curriculum for All," of the National Curriculum Council of the United Kingdom. Teachers of students with special needs are encouraged to follow the booklet's guidelines to ensure access to the National Curriculum. Concerns about assessment and local management of schools are…

Proposed is a three course sequence for all college students designed to raise the level of undergraduate scientific literacy. The rationale, topics to be covered, and an outline of an earth-systems course are presented. Problems in the implementation of such a sequence are discussed. (CW)

Disagrees with the current educational reform premise that John Dewey's theories dominate education. Claims the absence of theory is responsible for current problems, rather than adherence to formalistic theory. Attacks the common content thesis and claims that providing vague background knowledge is the problem. Explores the future of the social…

Describes a World Core Curriculum which applies to education of the United Nations framework for dealing with complex issues. Contends that this curriculum gives children a picture of their home and family, a sense of the time flow in which they exist, and an idea of their importance to humanity's progress. (KO)

Four goals for a Second Wave of general education reform should be: broaden existing reforms and embed them more firmly in the life of the college; engage a larger number of colleges; attract new individuals to the movement; and confront more candidly the barriers to devising, approving, and implementing reforms. (MLW)

The text of a report released by the American Council of Learned Societies is presented, covering: the contemporary view of the humanities, specialization, ideology and objectivity, method and substance, core curriculum, enrollment, teaching, responsibility, interdisciplinary centers, and recommendations. (MLW)

Discussion of an organizational change at the University of Wisconsin that merged two departments to create the Instructional Technology Center highlights staffing, including staff training and development; space and physical renovation; hardware and software acquisition; the use of multimedia; and implementing a new core curriculum. (LRW)

Europe's educational systems' curricula are diversified. The paper analyzes the concepts of technology and curriculum, discusses implications for common core curricula, and relates the framework to teachers' and students' autonomy. Discussions of the European dimension in education, trends in western European development, and ingredients of a…

A study used computer analysis to examine distribution of basic science content in the 53 cases in the problem-based medical curriculum of Rush Medical College (Illinois) and compared it to application of that content by students and faculty. The method of analysis is recommended for reviewing curricula for omissions and redundancy. (Author/MSE)

A rationale for providing an integrative curriculum for gifted students is offered, and three curriculum designs are explained: (1) correlation (in which the sequence of presentation is altered to maximize learning of interrelationships); (2) fusion (in which content and skills of several subjects are blended); and (3) core curriculum (focusing on…