Summarizes results from several surveys of students, parents, graduates, teachers, employers, and the public in six states on the quality of vocational education programs, public image, responsiveness of vocational education to student and business community needs, and the extent of articulation between persons and institutions. (MF)

Describes the communist Chinese national curriculum in social studies, a broad term that includes moral and political education, as well as traditional subjects. Includes a sample moral and political education lesson, " Socialism is Good," and lists of several textbook contents and curriculum guides. Provides a brief educational history.…

Outlines the four essential components of education: outcomes, curriculum/program, assessment, and reporting. Emphasizes how these must align with one another. Describes advantages of teacher-librarians coordinating a schoolwide initiative for students' media productions. Identifies the five traits of media work: ideas and content, organization,…

Discusses a number of ethical dilemmas encountered during different stages of qualitative research. Outlines problems specific to entering the field, being in the field, leaving the field, writing, and dissemination. Recounts an incident from ethnographic research that illustrates problems concerning conflicting roles and maintaining objectivity.…

Examines fundamental conceptions regarding the role and nature of evaluating and researching music education programs. Questions the common idea that evaluative criteria for programs should focus primarily on the students' level of musical skill. Argues that consideration should be given to personal growth and other issues. (MJP)

Describes the development and implementation of an educational administrative program in the Cheliabinsk Oblast region of post-Soviet Russia. The system attempted to assign appropriate responsibilities at the local level while maintaining a unified national system of education. Briefly discusses other problems concerning educational support and…

Provides criteria to apply when considering the development or purchase of programs or instructional materials for character education. Establishes the importance of including character education in professional development, both at the inservice and preservice levels. Includes a list of six teaching principles for effective character educators.…

Highlights the experiences of three elementary teachers involved in a computer technology project. Teachers' concerns included computer materials that did not closely match the required curriculum, lack of preparation and training, and the inconsistent level of the success experienced by both students and teachers. (MJP)

Nevada schools developed a high school science curricula based on technology and student-centered learning which guides students in researching and designing multimedia projects. Despite a lack of technology and computer experience, student creativity and interest increased, and performance and work habits improved. New techniques for measuring…

Provides direction to child care center directors in conducting a climate survey which can indicate quality and staff morale problems with measures of motivation, commitment, satisfaction/dissatisfaction, responsibility, and staff concerns. Presents advice on the construct, administering, interpretation, and reporting of findings to avoid serious…

Criticizes recent educational and sociological literature for its optimistic assessment of family-school programs. Maintains that these studies fail to address observable differences in parents' educational skills, occupational and economic flexibility, social networks, and positions of power. Illustrates these problems with examples from an…

Reports on a research development model designed to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics in the Dominican Republic. The model drew heavily upon the Missouri Mathematics Project. Discusses innovations in curriculum development, classroom instruction, and inservice teacher training. Includes statistical tables on student achievement and…

Asserts that variance between a university's reputation as an institution and its commitment to research have a greater impact on political science department rankings than any internal factors within the department. Includes several tables showing statistical variables of department and university rankings. (MJP)

Reports two studies carried out in the 1970s and 1980s that examined whether intellectual mastery of the content in a psychology of women course facilitated personal change. Compared students' pretest-posttest scores on gender self-concept, attitudes, and assertiveness. Data indicate positive results, and scores did not change between groups. (NL)

Federal and state educational indicator systems should include assessments of school context as well as of student outcomes. A review of the literature suggests that access to knowledge, pressure for achievement, and professional teaching conditions are the best general constructs to provide bases for school context indicators. (TJH)