Criticizes the National History Standards for attempting to cover too much material and burdening teachers with unrealistic objectives and expectations. Recommends a closer coordination of educational objectives with historical material in an attempt to clarify the standards and make them more effective. (MJP)

In 1993, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte's governing board mandated peer evaluation for nontenured faculty. Participants in the American Association for Higher Education's peer review project feared the mandate would taint efforts to introduce faculty to collegial approaches to peer review. However, negative fallout from the mandate…

The teacher supply policy implemented in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 1971 has three goals: to supply enough teachers, to employ more national teachers, and to raise teaching force quality. Sufficient numbers of teachers and more national teachers have resulted. However, expatriate teachers dominate UAE classrooms, and there are serious…

Resumption of democratic politics in Brazil has had mixed consequences for basic education. Although the "Education for All" program aims to improve access to basic education for poor children, politically powerful groups oppose reallocation of resources at their expense and ensure that educational reform remains rhetoric. Contains 85…

Implementing measurement specialists' ideas about content validity with licensure examinations and the problem of court litigation are discussed. Validity issues surfacing when sponsors of national licensure examinations conduct validity investigations are considered. Issues include local versus national focus on content validity, job analysis,…

Discusses the preservation and conservation of materials in libraries and archives and describes national and international policies that have been developed to deal with preservation problems. Highlights include managerial responsibility; paper-making and book production standards; the role of national libraries; coordination of policies;…

Discussion of national initiatives in the area of policy and planning for computer education focuses on the development and implementation of the Australian National Computer Education Program. National technological priorities are discussed, strategic planning and decision making are considered, and future activities and trends are suggested.…

Surveys bibliographic services for scientific and technical information currently available in Nigeria and identifies problems that are impeding effective national bibliographic and information services. The need for national coordination of bibliographic services is discussed and the functions of a proposed national technical and information…

Examines the problems facing bibliographic control in Kenya, including the current state of publishing, lack of legal deposit legislation, and inadequacies in the recently created Kenya National Bibliography. The discussion points out the need for a national coordinating body that encompasses information workers, publishers, printers, and…

Discusses the problems of and some solutions presented by the American mathematics education reform movement. Describes ideas concerning criteria for curriculum, assessment, learning, teaching, and teacher education. Proposes several recommendations for a new agenda. (YP)

European educators concerned with international higher education are experimenting with assessment of educational quality within and across national boundaries, particularly for purposes of international educational exchange. More and better information on program quality is needed, and some would welcome institutional or program rankings. (MSE)

Focuses on the immunization status of children aged 19 to 35 months. Recommended immunizations are described and contrasted with the actual status of immunization. In response to unacceptably low levels of immunization among very young children, the government is aiming at 90% immunization by the year 2000. (SLD)

Reviews author James A. Michener's role in the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and contends that his 1939 predictions for social studies should be assessed in present-day context. Concludes that the history of social studies fails to support Michener's optimistic appraisal of its future. (CFR)

Maintains that the National History Standards are a collaboration among classroom teachers, scholars, and curriculum specialists. Discusses the process used to develop the history standards. Asserts that the most contentious issue was the treatment of western civilization in the presentation of historical criteria. (CFR)

Discusses the evolution of state-level assessment activities of college graduates' skills/outcomes to provide a context for a proposed national system and examines extent and types of testing in six states. Addresses the purposes of postsecondary assessment and draws conclusions as to institutional support needed to sustain a collaborative system.…