An appraisal of elective programs in the English curricula of American high schools during the last decade is presented. Elective courses are defined as programs at one or more grade levels which allow students to choose courses that appeal to them from a wide variety of offerings. The study is based on data from over 100 programs in 37 states.…

Designed for eleventh grade students, this guide incorporates the four disciplines of art, music, literature, and history. The objectives are for students to apply knowledge gained from the study of past problems toward the problems of contemporary society; to develop an understanding of cultural and societal patterns; to trace personal values of…

Alverno College began its outcome-oriented liberal arts curriculum in the fall of 1973. Clearly traceable to Alverno's early heritage as a teachers' college for educating the sisters of a teaching order is the current liberal arts college's interest in the incoming student's orientation to college learning. Each section of this report briefly…

College enrollments in computer science, engineering, and business have increased since 1972, and decreased in biological and social sciences, humanities, and education. Above average high school achievement levels are generally found for declared college majors in science and engineering, with low achievement among education and business majors…

Federal appropriations for higher education in fiscal 1985 in the Department of Education and other federal agencies are outlined in tabular form. Appropriations cover student and institutional assistance, research, adult education, library resources, aid to disadvantaged and handicapped, civil rights, health professions, arts and humanities, etc.…

It is one thing to lament the financial pressures put on universities, quite another to face up to the poverty of resources for thinking about what universities should do when they purport to offer a liberal education. In "Powers of the Mind", former University of Chicago dean Donald N. Levine enriches those resources by proposing fresh…

The 11 essays in this volume are organized around several themes related to the humanities and higher education. Papers discuss demographics and funding needs; classroom climate; books, libraries, and reading; educational theory; and educational institutions. Essays include: "Change in the Humanities and Higher Education" (Alvin Kernan);…

The term liberal arts is defined and liberal education is proposed as a more appropriate term. Six characteristics of the liberally educated person are identified and curricular changes that would encourage the development of these qualities are proposed. (Author/MLW)

Proposed federal fiscal 1998 budget allocations are presented, including general changes in Education Department and other agency appropriations from the previous year and dollar amounts of appropriations for student assistance, graduate support, institutional assistance, aid to the disadvantaged, educational research and statistics, aid to…

Introduces a six-article symposium on interdisciplinary art education. Maintains that the specialization of modern societies presents a barrier between the arts and an interdisciplinary approach to arts education. Previews five articles that follow in the symposium. (CFR)

Discusses the impact of computerization on humanists and libraries. Highlights include a lack of relevant databases; a reliance on original text; vocabulary and language issues; lack of time pressure; research style; attitudes of humanists toward technology; trends in electronic publishing; hypertext; collection development; electronic mail;…

Outlines projects organized by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council to celebrate the Bill of Rights bicentennial. Concentrates on a poster exhibit consisting of 12 panels depicting civil rights with accompanying essays. Stresses promoting the Bill of Rights' relevance to students' lives and the humanities role in teaching lessons from history and…

Describes a classroom study of 20 self-selected, college-bound, U.S. history students in which the students created a story, poem, painting, or other art form after studying a unit on immigration. Includes several examples and descriptions of students' poetry, writing, and other creative projects. (CFR)

Proposes an extension of the arts education/business community relationship moving beyond issues of patronage and support. Maintains that the complexity of the 21st-century economy and society will be well served by the flexibility and creativity manifested in arts education. Recommends national goals and standards for arts education. (MJP)

The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) has been laying the groundwork to explore fundamental questions of the implementation of alternative assessment. The CRESST has been working collaboratively with school practitioners to help them implement performance assessment strategies so that the CRESST…