State legislatures have become increasingly willing to experiment with school choice. Since 1985, more than half the states have passed school choice laws. This article reports on a survey conducted in the summer of 1991 and updated in the fall of that year that focuses on state choice statutes. Six categories of school choice laws are discussed:…

This annual theme issue is devoted to articles on educational research pertaining to the Mexican American child. In addition, there is an article proposing strategies for recruiting Hispanics in teacher education, and a poem recalling a childhood experience. Titles and authors are: (1) "Motivation for Learning English: Differences Between Non- and…

Is the criticism of today's public schools and its employees unwarranted? This document highlights some data that cast the performance of American public schools in a more favorable light. Contrary to popular belief, today's students compare favorably with those in the past and with students in other countries. A higher percentage of American…

This report is an examination of recommended and actual school-based guidance policies, programs, and practices for young adolescents. The information is drawn from Canadian and international publications, and from a survey of guidance and career education programs for grades 7-8 in Ontario boards of education and schools, called The 1990 Ontario…

The third in a series of international conferences on measuring quality in post-secondary education was held to design four proposed project briefs, to identify new areas of collaboration, to encourage participation in the current projects, and to promote continued dialogue and exchange on the projects. Each of four working groups addressed one of…

This book offers suggestions to doctoral students, primarily in the social and behavioral sciences, the humanities, and such professional fields as education, counseling, and social work, to help them succeed in earning a doctoral degree. It is based on the observation that successful students not only have knowledge obtained from the books they…

A study examined student outcomes at those schools and colleges that filed reports with the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools/Colleges of Technology during the 1990, 1991, and 1992 school years. The study focused on the following rates calculated separately for full- and part-time students: graduation, withdrawal, training-related…

America is called the "Land of Opportunity." Popular stories help to develop and perpetuate a mental model that says anyone can make anything of themselves. Education is promoted as the great equalizer; it is believed that anyone can go to high school in the United States, and even to college if they try hard enough. This mental model is…

This study, which includes a review of literature and a methodology description, investigates the persistence rates of 462 Native American first-time college students enrolled in community colleges throughout Washington State in the fall of 1988. Their progress was tracked over a six-year study period. Existing data from the State Board of…

Angered by the continued worsening of public school quality despite 1980s reform efforts and growing business-education partnerships, many American business leaders claim that money and concern are not enough. Boosting teacher salaries and reducing class size have yielded poor results. Business's general dismay with public school performance has…

This paper describes the Summer Training and Education Program (STEP) for at-risk students that combines remedial reading and math instruction, education on responsible sexual attitudes and behavior, and work experience. During two consecutive summers, STEP participants receive 90 hours of remedial instruction in reading and math (Practical…

As part of an ongoing research project, this study examined the relationship between character traits and school variables, home variables, and personal variables. Freshman and sophomore students from a small rural high school in Ohio were selected for the study based on their scores on the Character Trait Questionnaire (CTQ). The CTQ contains 12…

A project examined the interface between schools and technical and further education (TAFE) in Australia and between schools and post-school vocational education in other countries. It focused on the effect of increased retention to year 12 on TAFE curricula. Information was gathered through a literature search, interviews with curriculum staff,…

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) is the third in a series of longitudinal studies sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics. The NELS:88 is being conducted in several waves, beginning with a base year experience of approximately 25,000 eighth graders. This report profiles the family characteristics and…

This report presents evaluative information of the effectiveness of the Career Awareness and Resource Education (Project CARE) program in New York City. The program served 346 students of limited English proficiency. Participating students received instruction in English as a second language ESL, native language arts (NLA), the content areas, and…