Although general education is supported philosophically by local institutions and by the state and national governments, students in Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education (VTAE) systems often express doubts about the usefulness and relevance of required general education courses. Frequently, conflict between general education instructors and…

Initial problems in developing desired social studies teachers' characteristics are identifying what good social studies instruction in the secondary school is, qualities a teacher must possess, and behaviors he or she must be able to demonstrate. Possible sources for standards are clock hours of work or number of courses; teacher recommendations;…

This paper presents evidence of the need to apply specific levels of competence to day care center staff, and describes the impact of these levels of competence on the children receiving care. Nine categories of staff necessary for quality day care are discussed and the duties of each are outlined. The categories are center director, director of…

A study considered criteria for the evaluation of computing resources for college students. The nature and status of instructional computing in higher education were examined in terms of the need for student access to computers, development of resources, and evaluation of the effectiveness of computer use. Current computer use was reviewed, and…

Vocational, academic, and special education teachers who had received inservice education in the individualization of instruction were observed to determine the effect of the education on their teaching. Data collection and conversion instruments were developed. Six trained observers performed 364 classroom observations in 10 Texas districts with…

English abstracts of fifty-five research projects commissioned by the National Board of Education in Finland between 1971 and 1973 are cataloged in this bulletin. The research reports are available from ten different centers listed in the front of the bulletin. The reports are listed consecutively based on an internal numbering system; abstracts…

A number of problems are identified and questions raised about the usefulness of conventional instruments of educational and psychological measurement in curriculum evaluation and research. Four purposes of curriculum evaluation data are identified: (1) advancement of science, (2) curriculum revision, (3) provision of data for the formulation of…

The first section discusses the expected on-the-job capabilities of school psychologists in relation to preservice training. The major topics addressed include: diagnosis; consultation; therapeutic intervention; and administration, supervision, and relationships. The second section identifies the capabilities required of school psychologists and…

In this paper the authors illustrate the use of a strict standard for evaluating evidence on programs and strategies designed to improve outcomes for high school students. They explain what they mean by solid evidence, and present examples from multi-site evaluations of three programs. After that they examine some of the evidence on high school…

This study addresses the fiscal impacts of school choice in New Hampshire. The author uses one example from the 2003 New Hampshire legislative session to illustrate the fiscal impacts of school choice on New Hampshire and its communities. He develops a unique database of individual and household level responses from the 2000 Census of New…

"A Focus on Professional Development" is the fourth in the Research-Based Practices in Early Reading Series published by the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) at Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). Because reading proficiency is fundamental to student achievement across all subjects and grades, the preparation of the teachers…

Career and technical education (CTE) administrators are increasingly being forced to resort to filling CTE teacher positions by hiring industry experts for classroom teaching positions and subsequently using creative ways to develop qualified, certified, and exemplary CTE instructors. Traditional teacher mentoring and induction programs fail to…

A study compared surveys conducted in 2000 of the graduates of Australian TAFE (Technical and Further Education) and university bachelor programs and outlined some of the similarities and differences between the two sectors. Some of the key findings of the study are the following: (1) 89 percent of TAFE graduates were employed or in further study…

An international joint study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) was conducted on education and rural development to review the status of the topic from the standpoint of public policies and the conceptual frameworks on which they are based and…

This report on the short-term effects of Upward Bound, a federal pre-college program designed to help economically disadvantaged students complete high school and gain access to post-secondary education, presents interim findings from the Longitudinal Effectiveness Study of Upward Bound based on data on approximately 2,800 students during the…