Asserts that as the demand for authentic, standards-based assessment of teacher performance grows, teacher educators need to develop new tools to record and organize evidence of successful teaching. Electronic portfolios that document professional growth, reflective practice, and demonstrated competencies on set standards or principles can be such…

Notes that inclusive education is central to contemporary discourse on special needs education. Examines difficulties in allowing the concept to be a key organizing principle for educational provision. Argues that setting aside preoccupation with inclusion would result in a clearer focus on core educational values and student learning and…

Addresses the role of outdoor education in educating for a sustainable society. Discusses elements in promoting social action (environmental awareness, empowerment, commitment) and 10 essential competencies in educating for sustainability. Describes related benefits of outdoor education such as increasing student motivation, utilizing multiple…

This paper describes the drama component of Project Access, a transitional 4-week summer program for students (ages 15 to 18) with disabilities at Howard County Community College (Maryland). Emphasis is on development of self-advocacy skills through a variety of exercises and performance activities. Participating students have demonstrated growth…

Whitworth College, Washington, has a commitment to multicultural education for all students. Its course, "Field Experience in Mutlicultural Education," which sends students to one of several field sites, is described. This experience is designed to assist preservice teachers in the development of a global orientation and informed world…

Discusses the American Chemical Society's student affiliates program. Provides the purposes of the organization and benefits available. Notes 6000 students are members this year. (MVL)

Describes a values education program developed in the city of Hamilton, Ontario. Advocates removing values education from the realm of the hidden curriculum as found in the traditional school model of knowledge of facts, mastery of technical skills, and awareness of attitudes. Emphasizes the importance of continual interaction between school and…

Discussed is a report of a British government advisory group concerning programs of study in mathematics education, as related to students with special education needs. Described are the progression of levels, the spread of levels normal for particular age groups, and the notion of age determining the work of students. (JDD)

Teaching assistant supervisors accept responsibility or overseeing the work and professional development of one or more teaching assistants. The complexity of such responsibility, the teaching assistant supervisor role, understanding teaching assistants from a developmental perspective, etc. are discussed. (MLW)

A residential ninth-grade program in the Australian bush strives to develop initiative, personal integrity, respect for nature, leadership, self-esteem, and sense of community by combining academic study with a strong outdoor education program, replacing competitive sports with cooperative activities, requiring students to be responsible for…

A participant in a conference on interdisciplinary general education at the college level highlights some of the issues addressed there: institutional limitations and opportunities; interdisciplinarity versus the power of deep disciplinary inquiry; cross-disciplinary linkages versus interdisciplinary inquiry; and the role of student development…

Traces development at Navajo Community College of educational models based on Navajo cultural foundations, most recently the Dine Educational Philosophy based on male/female dualist aspects of knowledge and values traditionally identified with the cardinal directions, and providing students with the means to integrate Navajo and Western knowledge…

Describes the planning, implementation, and evaluation of an integrated student soil science project. Reports that the course was designed to develop student-centered approaches to learning and to develop transferable skills and personal qualities at the same time. Explains that the project included fieldwork, laboratory analysis, data…

The option of early entrance to college for gifted students is reviewed. Considered are advantages of early entrance, early entrance programs available at a variety of colleges and universities, social and emotional concerns, and potential difficulties of early entrance. Specific recommendations are offered to maximize the chances of success. (DB)

A 14-year-old girl with blindness who lived in an isolated religious community in northern British Columbia (Canada) was successfully integrated into the public school system. Four critical issues in planning for integration included family information and involvement, community awareness, empowerment of the individual, and opportunities for…