This paper, commissioned for the development of the national report, "National Excellence: A Case for Developing America's Talent," presents data which suggest that America's top students do poorly in comparison with top students in comparable nations and that few strides have been made in significantly improving American students'…

These six papers address theoretical and practical issues in the inclusion of students with severe disabilities in regular classes and related settings. Emphasis is on how communication and other social skills can be taught to these students in inclusive settings. A prologue and epilogue, by Beth Dixon, a parent, relates her severely disabled…

Researchers at the Coast Guard Academy have designed and tested a series of exercises for assessing the development of intellectual skills in an interdisciplinary context and providing career-related motivation for continued learning. These exercises are based on realistic situations that cadets might encounter as commissioned officers in the…

The practical application of multicultural education to the British elementary school classroom is discussed, taking into account the 1988 Education Reform Act and the attainment targets of the British National Curriculum. Part 1 explores the historical development of multicultural education, considering sex and class inequality and local and…

The mission of the California Community Colleges, first articulated in the "Master Plan for Higher Education" (1960) and since reaffirmed in California Assembly Bill 1725, is to provide Californians with quality courses and programs in transfer and career education and in the mastery of basic skills and English as a Second Language…

In 1992 the Utah State Office of Education initiated a review of recent literature on performance assessment as a step in establishing the foundation of the Utah State Core Curriculum Performance Assessment Program. Profiles Corporation conducted the review of the literature and contacted educators in all 50 states regarding the current state of…

When given the opportunity to plan a new community learning center, Lakeland Community College's program planners sought the assistance of The College Board's Office of Adult Learning and Services. Thousands of scientifically weighted interviews involving households, students, and business leaders were evaluated to determine the community's…

In January, 1991, the Higher Education Coordinating Board established a Policy on Minority Participation and Diversity for the public postsecondary education system in the State of Washington. Included in this policy were short- and long-term goals for increasing participation and success by people of color and cultural diversity. Five areas are…

One educational change that is beginning to take hold is the use of alternative ways of testing and assessment, often referred to as authentic assessment. Advocates of authentic assessment believe that conventional testing is distorting educational goals, while authentic assessment can foster good educational practices. In fact, many educators…

Examining the question, "Why are children not mastering what they ought to be learning in school?," this book merges cognitive science with educational agenda to show how incompatible children's minds and natural patterns of learning are to current educational materials, practices, and institutions, making a case for restructuring the…

The use of the term "world class standards" grows out of the rhetoric surrounding the National Education Goals of 1990. The perspective of the mathematical sciences education community on world class standards is offered through a description of their efforts on behalf of reform of mathematics education and a discussion of what such…

In September 1992, Australia's commonwealth, state, and territory ministers for education and training established a working party to draft a national policy regarding adult community education (ACE). The resulting policy was based on the principle that ACE is an educational provision in its own right that also complements the core provision of…

This report assesses the Alternative Learning Methodologies through Academics (Project ALMA), which is designed to assist the academic progress of 531 Spanish-speaking students of limited English proficiency who attend John Bowne High School in Queens and John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx. Participating students received instruction in…

In compliance with mandates of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Arizona Department of Education has completed its evaluation of effectiveness for state and locally administered programs in the context of Arizona's existing Chapter 2 goals. The evaluation focused first on state-administered programs and then considered locally…

The state of California faces trends which will significantly shape higher education in the coming century and which require public debate and decision in the near future. The trends are enrollment growth coupled with continued slow economic growth with consequent low appropriations for education. A study by the National Center for Higher…