A survey of 143 North American medical schools elicited information about school response to recommendations for revitalization of the medical curriculum and other reforms (graduation competencies, community-based training, interdisciplinary courses, problem-based learning, evaluation improvement). Results indicate centralization of curriculum…

Group discussions on physical, sexual, and emotional child abuse and neglect, which took place at the "Child Protection for the 21st Century Conference," are summarized. The discussions noted practices that should be preserved and those requiring change in law/law enforcement, mental health, medicine/nursing, social work, and prevention and…

Describes a collaborative reform effort among three school districts and the University of Charleston to meet the diverse needs of middle school science students with mild to moderate disabilities. The article discusses the design and implementation of the collaborative model, indicators of its success, and recommendations for similar efforts. (SM)

President John Brooks Slaughter has pushed to create diversity at all levels at Occidental College (California), including students, faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees, while maintaining academic excellence. Many say he has succeeded in his leadership, although some alumni are critical of the changes and some supporters are concerned…

The University of Texas at El Paso has provided leadership and support for several collaborative K-16 reform activities. A closed-loop, K-12, preservice teacher preparation system supported by generous extramural funding has provided the university, community college, and local schools with opportunities for conversation, shared vision, and…

Discussion of the higher education system of Macedonia includes a description of the various institutions, the undergraduate and graduate programs of the two principal universities, admission and enrollment procedures, higher education finance, and international linkages, particularly the intention of creating cooperative arrangements with…

A reexamination of recommended reforms for public college and university governing boards, outlined in an Association of Governing Boards policy paper, suggests that borrowing approaches from private higher education will not necessarily solve the challenges facing private education. Issues discussed include the board's role and functions,…

Describes the successful bilingual education program at Socorro High School, Texas. As a result of site-based management, teacher-collaborative strategic planning, widespread ESL certification, and a parent-student-teacher school improvement team, students (98% Hispanic, 90% poor) consistently score above state averages; fewer than 2% drop out,…

Seven plans for financing higher education's expansion in the United Kingdom are described, analyzed, and compared, particularly as each addresses three issues: student loan program design; tuition; and student loan repayment. Criteria for evaluating the plans include efficiency, equity, and implications for stability of public spending. The…

The Glion Declaration, issued after a 1998 higher education leadership colloquium, proposes strategies for addressing higher education challenges in the 21st century. Issues addressed include teaching as moral vocation, scholarship as public trust, creation of new intellectual alliances, use of information technology, public service as…

Gifted children in the preschool and primary grades may demonstrate advanced abilities in the verbal areas in several different ways. Many gifted children show precocious oral language ability by talking early and with greater complexity and manipulation of language than their age peers. Some gifted children also demonstrate precocious reading…

Teachers in Ireland fear that benchmarking in the context of the present review of pay and conditions for all public service workers camouflages a shift of concern away from the development of the individual student to concern for the quality of the educational process provided by schools. A recent dispute between secondary teachers and the Irish…

Recent educational reforms in China are placing increasing emphasis on the integration of new technologies in the English language curriculum. At the same time, a debate has begun concerning the effectiveness of Information Technology (IT) usage in transforming language pedagogy in the Chinese context. In response to points made in the discussions…

This article sets the scene for the other papers in this Special Issue on children's and young people's participation, by outlining the nature of the ESRC Seminar Series from which all are derived and by developing the main themes discussed at the seminars. The focus of this Issue is participation by children and young people as this relates to…

Legislative and programmatic efforts to improve teacher quality have become a major focus of state policymaking in recent years. States have employed numerous strategies in response to concerns about the preparation, quantity, and capacity of the teacher workforce. In this chapter, the authors introduce conceptual frameworks for understanding…