There is a growing obsession in education with generating solutions. Educators should make sure that they know what the problems before them are; that the problems are developed at a manageable level; and that causes for the problems are identified and proven. (Author/MLF)

Critically examines the mainstreaming movement in the United States and the assumptions behind the movement and compares it to the situation in Scandinavia. Broader social issues are discussed. (Author/MLF)

In the fall of 1977, students enrolled in an elementary school administration and supervision class at Indiana State University attempted to separate the "threats" from the "thorns" in elementary school administration. "Thorns" were defined as everlasting or recurrent problems, and "threats" were defined as relatively new problems perceived as…

The process of institutional performance assessment in higher education carries with it potential liabilities and warrants careful consideration. The political, methodological, economic, and philosophical cautions to be considered are described and procedures for effectively dealing with these issues are suggested. (Author/JMD)

The growing interest of European institutions of higher education in the question of training and developing administrators is addressed. Topics include: the nature of the challenges; the progress and problems encountered to date; reflections of the possible scope of training; and practical directions for administrator development. (Author/JMD)

As the reward-and-punish psychology of leadership becomes less effective and the problems besetting educational institutions mount, professional educators have exciting opportunities to engage in more democratic, effective, and rewarding leadership. Specific suggestions are made on what leaders can do to bring about more spirited leadership.…

Examples are given of how a careless or overly personal sex education instructor can endanger an entire school program. (LH)

Two aspects of criterion referenced testing are discussed: cutting scores and test length. Several practices in determining passing scores are enumerated: (1) setting passing scores so that a predetermined percent of students pass; (2) inspecting each test item to determine how important it is that it be answered correctly; (3) determining the…

These seven papers address problems of teaching about state government and politics at the secondary level and provide a framework and suggestions for improving the curriculum. The first paper analyzes the current civics curriculum and notes that textbooks underemphasize state government and overemphasize the structure and the formal procedures of…

This manual was developed to help principals identify and monitor human barriers (intentional and unintentional social behaviors that produce negative reactions) in their schools. It is also intended to help administrative staff, teachers, other school-site staff, students, parents, and community members and groups become aware of school-related…

Community education has the capacity to teach the basics to thousands of adults and to present these skills in a palatable manner. (Author/JM)

Intended to assist practitioners in vocational education in improving program planning and evaluation, this paper provides an overview of needs assessment, which is a method of acquiring evaluative data required by the Vocational Education Amendments of 1978 (P.L. 94-482). The first two sections discuss various definitions of educational needs…

The key to a successful program in a cold environment lies in dealing with the cold while still accomplishing program goals and objectives. Teachers and students must be aware of physiological and psychological reactions to the cold, cold injuries and their treatment, and techniques for staying warm. (SB)

Intended for use by SEAs and LEAs in the development of programs designed to address sex bias in vocational education, this booklet (which covers elementary to secondary education) provides strategies and evaluative procedures for problems or needs identified as resulting from sex bias and sex-role stereotyping. The thirty-one potential problem…

This monograph describes some concepts and methods developed in anthropology which may help parents, teachers, and other educators clarify their own cultural perspectives. Emphasis is placed on the role that these concepts and methods can play in helping educators, particularly bilingual teachers, deal more effectively with culture based…