This study reviews research and looks at promotion policies in 85 school districts, including the United States' 40 largest districts, describes the practices that support social promotion, and identifies the policy changes that will be necessary to break the social promotion-retention-social promotion cycle. Social promotion prevails in these…

Working with early childhood colleagues in other countries can be enlightening and enriching. This paper offers seven insights gained from the international experience: (1) "What It Feels Like To Be a Teacher" discusses observations of student and teacher behavior and attitudes in classrooms in China, a Caribbean island, and India; (2)…

This conference focused on critical thinking, language, and inquiry across the disciplines through the perspectives of scholars and practitioners within a variety of academic disciplines. This volume reflects the thoughts of 48 authors representing 20 academic fields; it is divided into two main parts. The first part is composed of papers that…

California Assembly Bill (AB) 1725 was passed to improve the operation of the state's community colleges with respect to finance, governance, affirmative action, employment policies, instructional technique, and accountability, providing a $5 million fund for staff development. To assess the effects of AB 1725 on the quantity and quality of…

Lack of institutional guidelines for the preparation of course study guides at Northern Maine Technical College (NMTC) allowed for wide variation in the quality of the guides produced. To develop a resource manual that would provide guidelines for the development of study guides at NMTC, a study was conducted to determine the elements that should…

These five issues of the serial "Communicator" published during 1993 discuss various aspects of gifted education, focusing, respectively, on mathematics and science, middle school gifted, parenting the gifted, talent development, and high school gifted. Articles include: "Our Most Important Investment for the Future: The Education of Our Youth"…

Zambia's Health Education News radio program, which was launched in 1982, features 15-minute broadcasts in English and several local languages. The primary objectives of the radio program are to encourage individuals to attend various health clinics and get their children immunized, teach communities to value their health, make people accept…

This study examined the attitudes of 140 children ages 2 through 7 toward mixed-age grouping in a Slovenian kindergarten (preschool) setting. On four consecutive Friday mornings the children, normally grouped in classes aged 2-3 years, 3-4 years, 4-5 years, and 5-7 years, were given the opportunity to switch classes and play among children of…

This paper provides a general overview of Aztec education as it existed when the Spanish arrived in 1519. A brief history traces the rise of the Aztecs from lower-class squatters and mercenaries in the Valley of Mexico to the rulers of a loosely structured "empire" consisting of some 15 million people. Aztec society was highly…

Based on three studies of adult literacy in Iowa, this book identifies policy issues raised by research on adult literacy and recommends solutions. It also examines adult literacy education from the perspective of the learners themselves in order to inform improved practice. The book addresses six basic questions that are the topics of the first…

After briefly summarizing major policy concerns and different perspectives on the relationship between training and work, this report discusses three main modes of vocational training: school-based training, apprenticeship, and training of employees. The goals and ideologies connected with these modes and the national systems that exemplify them…

Eleven focus groups, representing a broad range of Iowa thought, met in five Iowa cities in 1993 to talk about programming for students with behavioral and emotional problems. Participants viewed four videotapes of students with behavior problems, discussed what their schools would most commonly do to serve the students, and explored what their…

This paper lists practices recommended by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood, concerning general curriculum and intervention strategies in early intervention and early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) programs for infants and young children with special needs and their families. Definitions of…

This paper describes a needs assessment instrument that is intended to effectively communicate recommended practice ideas for serving children with disabilities to teachers, families, and service delivery personnel. The instrument is in the form of a quality indicators checklist and utilizes 143 statements of recommended practice. The inclusion of…

The history of the first 40 years of the community college movement was characterized by wide variations between the professional interests of educators and the educational interests of the public, with professional rhetoric attempting to minimize any apparent conflict. By 1930, the leadership elite of the junior college movement was comprised…