As a result of faculty discussion and study in 1977, Scarsdale High School discontinued the practice of reporting numerical class rank to colleges, and began to report rank by decile. The practice of reporting rank-in-class information to colleges was abolished after a survey of colleges. (MLW)

Foreign Language Exploration Competition Day consists of competitive activities for junior high school students of French, German, and Spanish. Students choose from a list of 17 contests and 7 prepared displays requiring students to use language skills learned in the classroom. Awards include ribbons, certificates, and a trophy. (MSE)

Recent enrollment shifts and current knowledge of the dynamics of competition in higher education are examined. Results of a study identifying several structural characteristics of competing college groups in New York State are reported and implications for future enrollment patterns there and elsewhere are discussed. (Author/MSE)

American youth sport has changed in the past few years to incorporate females into programs once reserved for males. Research into the physiologies of females supports the fact that no evidence exists for the segregation of children into gender-determined groups for athletic participation. (JN)

Describes a "High School Science Bowl" organized by the University of Tennessee at Martin Chapter of American Chemical Society Student Affiliates. The contest consists of two parts: a preliminary written test of 25 objective questions from biology, chemistry, general science and an afternoon session patterned after television's "College Bowl."…

The effects of interpersonal cooperation, competition, and individualistic efforts were compared on a categorization and retrieval, a spatial-reasoning, and a verbal problem-solving task. Forty-five first-grade children were stratified on the basis of sex and ability. Students in the cooperative condition achieved best. (Author/CTM)

Suggests that instructional goal structures (cooperative, competitive, and individualistic) may promote three major goals of engineering education: technological, interpersonal, and social-technical competencies. Reviews research on instructional goal structures, appropriate use for all three structures, and establishing a cooperative structure.…

Discusses ways that moral values can be taught in K-12 physical education courses including competitive sports, gymnastics, dancing, hiking, and camping. Teachers must help students to handle competitiveness, and to transfer their experiences of sportsmanship, cooperation, trust, and personal integrity to other areas of their lives. (AM)

The extent to which styles of research could account for academic ideologies among academic researchers in sociology, psychology, political science, and education are discussed. The hypothesis maintains that researchers who favor styles of research that compete successfully are likely to take a conservative attitude toward student and faculty…

Second- and sixth-grade boys were paired with a friend or an acquaintance (N=120), and each dyad completed a problem-solving task under cooperative, competitive, or no reward contingencies. Communicative exchange, affective expression, synchrony of task-oriented behavior, and task performance were examined for evidence of purported mutuality in…

Though recreational programs are not planned specifically to reduce delinquency, well-planned recreation programs can keep potential delinquents from misusing their leisure time. (JN)

The premise that "sports builds character" is scrutinized through a discussion of several contact sports--boxing, hockey, and football. The fine line between assertiveness and aggression is explored, and the interrelationship between society and sports is investigated. (JN)

A commentary on the state of mathematics in schools that discusses positive aspects, such as the United States' successes in International Mathematics Olympiad, as well as the much-publicized criticisms of modern mathematics. (MK)

The author critiques those calls for the professionalization of teachers which fail to consider the political realities of school life. In the school bureaucracy, he argues, teachers are in competition with other groups for decision-making power. Therefore, increased teacher autonomy and authority hold potential for conflict. (SJL)

While a coach's practical goals necessitate having a winning team, this need is not inconsistent with other goals motivating players intrinsically, helping athletes deal with competition-related stress, and building an appreciation of individual worth and of team cooperation. (JD)