Basic communication skills should be required for all college students. Effective methods of instruction include specific communications courses, integrated across-the-curriculum instruction, on-going assessment, and classes in advanced skills. Competent communication requires knowledge, skill, and motivation. Advanced skills could be taught…

Asserts that students see grades as an indicator of effort unconnected to the content of the course while teachers regard grades as a measure of achievement within a discipline. Discusses some of the current controversies and approaches concerning grades and how they relate to school reform. (MJP)

Aided by a small state grant, a Los Angeles County elementary school serving limited-English-speaking students tackled its underachievement problem by involving teachers in setting higher academic standards and expectations. The goal-driven project has provided focus and coherence to classroom instruction and improved fifth-grade reading and…

A college professor and former professional football player, a university athletics director, and a sports sociologist offer their perspectives on the role of college sports in providing disadvantaged students with access to higher education. Issues discussed include the history of race and professional sports, colleges' responsibilities to…

Overviews challenges facing foreign language educators, including lack of a shared framework, dominance of the curriculum by textbooks, inaccurate student placement, yearly repetition of course content, and lack of a consensus on what students should achieve. A new articulation and achievement project has made progress in solving these problems.…

Rapid changes in technology and the skills needed to compete successfully in the workforce will necessitate higher standards in education, especially in the ability to acquire, organize, and use information. Library media specialists must play a significant role in providing information access, storage, dissemination, and instruction for students.…

Discusses the collaborative use of learning materials in distance education based primarily on experiences at the Open Learning Institute (OLI) of Hong Kong. Topics addressed include curriculum issues; instructional design; academic standards; technical factors; copyright regulations; costs; product evaluation; readability; and ethical…

Analyzes educational practitioners' responses to the fundamental reforms proposed in President Bush's America 2000 educational reform initiatives. Considers national support for and resistance to three proposal essentials (accountability, choice, and deregulation). Discusses the efforts' possible derailment in favor of headline grabbing…

Describes the history of education at Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., the country's first African-American high school founded by ex-slaves in 1870. Argues that today the school emphasizes athletics over academics and that the source of decline has been holding students to lower standards. (JB)

This paper summarizes a British study which examined the opportunities available for pupils with special educational needs and low attainment to gain examination qualifications at Key Stage 4 for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). Findings are discussed in terms of access to courses, changes in patterns of student placement,…

Contends that citizenship education has become a political agenda rather than an educational concern. Argues that the national standards movement is fueled by opponents of multicultural education, global education, and an integrated social studies curriculum. (CFR)

An ethnically diverse elementary school committed to coteaching, narrative assessments, and a bias-free ambience performed poorly on 1996 statewide standardized assessments. Initially stymied by a new depersonalized district report card, teachers developed strategic compromises that accommodated the superintendent's bureaucratic directives and…

This article provides an overview of standards that have been developed for special educators, shares the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee program standards, discusses the ways in which they are used in teacher preparation, and suggests ways in which practicing teachers could use these or similar standards for ongoing professional development.…

Describes "Concept to Classroom", a series of free, online workshops developed by channel Thirteen/WNET New York and Disney Learning Partnerships to help teachers explore issues in education including multiple intelligences, constructivism, academic standards, cooperative and collaborative learning, assessment, curriculum redesign,…

Discusses difficulties colleges of education encounter with students who have special needs. A case study at one university explores dilemmas resulting from efforts to mediate between educators concerned with providing equal opportunities and educators concerned with upholding standards of excellence. An analysis of their dilemmas draws…