Examines the issue of a professor's First Amendment right to academic freedom vs. a student's right to an effective learning environment free from sexual harassment in a 1996 case, Cohen vs. San Bernardino Valley College. Also explored is the right of a public employee to free speech. Recommendations are offered to college administrators on…

School dropout is a complex social problem. In 1999, more boys (15 %) than girls (9 %) dropped out of Canadian schools prior to graduation (Bowlby and McMullen, 2002). In the United States, Kaufman et al. (2000) evaluated that 5 % more boys than girls dropped out of school. This literature review focuses on the place given to gender within studies…

Reviewing and conducting research on summer residential program models for gifted and talented students will illuminate the academic, social, and emotional difficulties they face and reveal which practices are effective in addressing these issues. One program model, the Governor's School, warrants particular attention because of its mission to…

This paper reports on the first part of a recent research study into current initiatives to support the learning of non-English speaking background (NESB) transnational students in Asia who are studying off-shore at Australian universities. Learning support and development staff in 12 universities were surveyed using a questionnaire. The survey…

This literature review compiled a survey of Australian research related to identification of students at risk and school-related programs which respond to these risks. Thus, two major components of this report are titled "Student Retention and Risk Factors" and "Programs for Students at Risk." Students at risk were defined as…

This digest summarizes studies that provide evidence that youth with multiple and severe risks in their lives can develop into confident and competent adults, and discusses the critical role schools can play in this process of development. Resilience is the term used to describe a set of qualities that foster a process of successful adaptation and…

This paper presents an examination of case law on faculty tenure and promotion as they are affected by institutional financial exigency and an examination of case law on personnel and faculty evaluation. An opening section reviews growing demands for accountability in higher education including legislatively mandated assessment of faculty and of…

When children's own strategies for solving mathematical problems are not connected to the way mathematics is taught in school, students fail to make sense of mathematics instruction and begin to "fail." This chapter adopts the position that student understanding of worthwhile mathematical content is the essential goal of mathematics education, and…

Why, despite society's common understanding of the problems of children, have individuals failed to act decisively and powerfully to bring them security and hope? This report, which includes articles excerpted and adapted from presentations and discussions at a 1996 symposium, addresses this question. After an introduction by Rosalynn Carter, the…

This paper explores whether or not the recent increase of interest by the U.S. Supreme Court in educational disputes results in a gradual reduction in the role that professional ethics plays in educators' everyday decisions. It is argued that there are links between an educator's professional ethics and constitutional justice. The increase in…

This paper discusses some misconceptions about Asian American elementary school and secondary school students, and describes ways of building effective communication with the families of these students. The essay begins by noting the stereotyping of Asian American students as "whiz kids" and discussing the damaging effect of that…

This pair of studies investigated the psychometric adequacy of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised (WISC-R) with a population of 8,396 potentially gifted elementary children of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds as well as diverse emotional and social environments. Study I showed subjects' profiles differed strikingly from…

This paper brings together information on the conditions and needs of children who have been exposed to drugs, federal programs that affect the well-being of these children, and policy questions that need resolution. Discussion concerns: (1) characteristics of infants who have been exposed to drugs and their families, including prevalence and…

Although the relationship between reading and writing proficiency has interested scholars for two centuries, the exact nature of this relationship has resisted discovery. The persistance of statistically significant correlations across a broad range of subjects, measures, and experimental settings leaves no doubt that a moderate link between…

This summary of a forum for migrant educators defines dropout issues, explores solutions and models of service, and offers recommendations to address the needs of out-of-school migrant youth. Notes from forum workshops and summary task force reports deal with dropout identification/needs assessment, dropout/enrollment/graduation data, interagency…