In May 1997, the Maine Legislature passed a comprehensive document that delineated expected educational outcomes for students, known as the Learning Results. This paper describes the components and philosophy of Maine's standards-development process. The Learning Results are based on Peter Senge's system model, which asserts that adoption of a new…

The degree of incivility varies, but there seems to be general agreement that it is on the rise on college campuses across the country. A number of key elements are involved in the communication aspects of civility: a lack of respect for another human being; name calling and dehumanization; disqualification from dialogue; threats and incitation;…

Rapidly changing demographics are forcing more and more Americans to interact with people who are different from themselves. Americans must become more sensitive to cultural diversity. One way to address this challenge at the university level is to offer courses in intercultural communication. At one university, an upper level course in…

This report profiles 10 public schools that, with help from businesses or community-based organizations, have created outstanding arts programs. A quality arts education helps students develop creative and critical thinking, innovative problem solving, effective communication, self-discipline, teamwork, and a respect for diverse cultures. The…

This paper provides examples of how portfolios are used at the University of Dayton (Ohio) in an introductory course titled "The Profession of Teaching" to enhance the interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical, linguistic, and spatial intelligence of preservice teachers. For example, students can include audiotapes of their experiences,…

The Brooks Educational Quality Indicators project tested the premise that quality education in Brooks (Alberta) results from the right blend of attention to academics and developing character within a firm set of behavioral demands. The first stage of the study included data collection on district perceptions from teachers, staff, administrators,…

Nine articles examine studies in Finnish higher education and the teaching of scientific thinking, with a focus on the relationship between university studies and career satisfaction. Information is presented on the years following the major expansion and reforms in the Finnish higher education system that took place in the mid-to-late 1960s. The…

This book articulates an integrated conceptualization of theory, assessment, application, and evaluation through the study of assessment and its role in linking theory and practice. Part 1 of the book contains six chapters which address the conceptualization of these four components, the potential for integrating them in the context of…

This paper looks at effective schools research as it relates to classroom management in participating schools associated with Michigan's Upper Peninsula Effective Schools Professional Development Program--a staff development program based on effective schools research and designed to bring about school improvement. Effective schools research…

Key aspects of assessment's rise as an issue are reported, and several lines of inquiry labeled assessment (and their assumptions) are examined. Concepts of assessment originated decades ago, but until recently people in higher education hearing the word did not view it as they do today. The early 1980s saw the argument that traditional gauges of…

Issues pertaining to a liberal education are examined, and information is included on 14 programs in liberal education that were were part of the U.S. Department of Education's National Project IV. The goals of liberal education and ways of achieving goals covered. A transcript of a discussion on liberal education in the 1980s is provided. Zelda…

A South Dakota State University model for developing student outcomes assessment plans in undergraduate family science programs is presented. This model consists of several steps: clarification of the departmental mission, goals, and objectives; specification of desired student outcomes; development of reliable, valid measures of student outcomes;…

A symposium discussion of the use of the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ) is presented. Intended for undergraduates at four-year colleges and universities, the CSEQ is a brief instrument that produces reliable and valid information for evaluation and assessment purposes. It asks students to indicate how often during the current…

The model of experiential learning at Warren Wilson College (North Carolina) is described, with attention to the triad of work, service, and academic study and The Center for Applied Student Research (The Center). Student are required to work 15 hours per week on one of 76 work crews; they assume adult responsibility for their work products and…

"Death in Literature," a nine-week elective course for high school juniors and seniors, was added to the English curriculum at a Kansas City high school in 1976. It has proved very popular with students and is being expanded to 18 weeks. The explicit objectives of the course are to help students to explore the theme of death in various types of…