The paper examines the historical background, the current status, and the future possibilities of educational programing for gifted children with sensory and/or physical disabilities. Discussed are definitions, prevalence, child characteristics, identification methods, exemplary programs, obstacles, and influential trends. A model is proposed for…

Describes the Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia's open university. Established in 1983, the university (1) provides better access to higher education, primarily for recent secondary-school graduates; (2) trains large numbers of students from culturally and economically underdeveloped areas; and (3) allows secondary-school teachers to obtain the full…

Discusses the fruitful experiences arising from participation in study tours of classrooms throughout the world. Suggests that the world view gained through these experiences provides insight into perennial and universal questions plaguing art education. Makes several observations relative to the nature of art education in other nations. (KO)

The Joint Committee on Testing Practices (JCTP) is a coordinating body sponsored by professional organizations and test publishers that seeks to advance the quality of testing practices and insure the rights of test takers. The JCTP has issued a code, reprinted here, advocating fairness in test construction, selection, and interpretation. (AF)

Teachers in rural West Virginia who had completed a Foxfire training course reported that they involved students to a greater extent in the design and participation of learning activities, especially in the use of discussions, peer teaching, and planning units of instruction. Teachers also reported incorporation of the community in the learning…

Describes "Nurse as Counsellor," a counseling course designed at the University of Windsor for registered nurses. An experiential learning model was applied to the course design, and an example of one student's experience is presented. This experiential model could be applied to counselor education in any professional discipline. (LKS)

This article reports on the schooling, employment, life experiences, and general skills of 66 students with Down syndrome (ages 13 to 20) in New South Wales, Australia. Comparison with British and American studies is also provided. Results suggest that changes in services begun in the 1970s generally resulted in improved outcomes for these…

Describes a study examining the degree to which state educational policies, state funding, and local policies dictate English-as-a-Second-Language programming. Cites four policy and funding variables that had a major influence on programs offered. Reviews four curricular designs found in the study and provides recommendations based on findings.…

A seven-step model for developing, teaching, and evaluating social safety skills curricula for persons with intellectual disabilities is presented. The model is based on validated best practices, including those associated with ecological inventories, (near) errorless learning instructional procedures, and procedures for promoting generalization…

Compares educational practices in Japan that involve educating the "whole child" by teaching values and behaviors through small group activities, to U.S. practices that focus mainly on academics. Japanese practices involve extensive and clear roles and procedures, routinization of activities, and peer pressure, all aimed at developing…

Responses of two high school history teachers on three performance assessments of teaching, part of the Stanford University Teacher Assessment Project, were analyzed. Differences that emerged in teacher attitudes and knowledge level illustrate what performance assessment can reveal about pedagogical knowledge and the implications for educational…

Draws a distinction between language in the classroom and language of the classroom to illustrate the ways in which situated definitions of language, text, and academic practices were established by a seventh-grade English teacher and her students through their oral and written discourse practices. (MDM)

In Israeli school culture, the school class is a social group in which "gibush" or cohesion is cultivated. A highly cohesive class has clearly demarcated boundaries, has high integration, is internally undifferentiated, and presupposes particular conditions for formation. The gibush model reflects an ideal of communal participation and…

Uses examples from China and Iran to demonstrate that governments use education to mold people's beliefs about human development to fit rulers' political rationale. Discusses Marxist attempts to alter Confucian and Taoist notions about human nature, and the shahs' attempts to change traditional Shiite views of women. Offers seven general…

Noting that today's economic, social, and scientific problems require creative solutions, points out the need for creative talent. Discusses how current thinking and educational practices in this country do little to encourage the development of creative individuals. Suggests that concentrating on developing the potential of each individual would…