The National Advisory Council on Educational Research and Improvement sponsored a conference to take a close look at the practical ways in which education is being reformed, and perhaps transformed, with the assistance of private-sector advice and innovations and with certain business disciplines. Following are the titles and authors of the papers…

Reductions in resources and increases in external demands place schools under pressure that can be relieved to some extent by organizational changes. When resources are sufficient, these changes may take the form of technical rationality--that is, decisions concerning policy and practices are made on the basis of neutral, measurable data rather…

The relationship between the current collective bargaining movement in higher education and faculty alienation was studied by determining whether professional and work conditions were related to alienation and whether faculty alienation affected opinions concerning collective bargaining. Of 401 mailed questionnaires, 187 usable responses were…

Reports a recent classroom analysis of Latino students who were doing well academically (as reflected both in teachers' assessments and in achievement tests). Finds that teachers were theoretically equipped, able to make curriculum judgments, and received support from colleagues. (MS)

Describes the success of an experienced middle school teacher in balancing her professional and personal values with organizational obligations and responsibilites to students. Encourages administrators to support teachers in the construction, evaluation, and revision of the classroom curriculum and to provide more collegial exchange opportunities…

A survey of first- and second-year medical students at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, revealed concern about a perceived loss of practice autonomy, inadequate financial rewards, and anticipated debt level. Career preferences were toward larger communities, group practices, and specialist practices. (MSE)

The future of the academic profession in Sweden will depend on the public commitment to developing equality, job security, and flexibility in a traditionally stratified profession at a time of relative financial inflexibility. A number of directions are now possible, determined by the relationship formed between policy and economy. (MSE)

Conflicting socioeconomic forces have influenced problem-solving and decision-making methods in special education. Before the 1970s, a medical model was used that emphasized identification of disabilities. The legal model stresses individual needs and shared decision making among educators and their clients. Advantages and disadvantages of each…

Reviews and analyzes the politicization of investigations of child abuse, emphasizing the issues of veracity and substantiation of child abuse reports. Scrutinizes recent major litigation illustrating the loss of professional objectivity. Political and ideological agendas are undermining the credibility of the mental health and social work…

"Education Matters" is the monthly newsletter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), an organization dedicated to advancing the American teaching profession through personal growth, professional development, teacher advocacy and protection. This issue of the newsletter includes: (1) Making a Game of Math: AAE Affiliate Motivates…

Great Britain's 1988 Education Reform Act demonstrates the prevailing political climate's commitment to market forces and competition as a means of increasing educational productivity. This paper presents findings of the Primary Assessment Curriculum and Experience (PACE) project, which investigated the effects of the policy change on English…

Focusing on teacher teams and their use as a lever for change, the author examines the importance of teachers becoming knowledgeable, skilled, and increasingly articulate about their leadership and participation so that they may take their rightful place in the school reform movement. Ten chapters focus on teams sponsored by the Rockefeller…

In 1994 the state of New Jersey deregulated the state higher education structure and created a new commission on higher education and a presidents' council. This report presents the findings of a 1998 survey that sought to determine the extent to which the goals of the deregulatory legislation had been achieved and whether the fears of the act's…

This paper, one in a series about the priorities of the professoriate, seeks to clarify the relationship between academic freedom and tenure by examining the standards and procedures used by the university to protect academic freedom without a tenure system. The paper considers first the minimum elements necessary to protect academic freedom…

The construct validity of the Attitudes of Professional Autonomy (APA) as a proxy measure of professional orientation was studied. The sample consisted of all teachers in 94 schools in 6 districts in Louisiana, closely representing the statewide distribution of all schools by level and socioeconomic status. Usable data were received from 1,921…