Using a historical approach, Sobe examines the myths and ideals that have underlain U.S. educational initiatives in postconflict nations abroad. Building on its tradition of modern schooling designed to advance civic and social order, America has sought to extend its political and cultural values overseas through educational reforms in…

Last summer, the Supreme Court declared voluntary student assignment plans to racially integrate the public schools in Louisville, Kentucky, and Seattle, Washington, unconstitutional by a 5-4 majority. This was a landmark ruling for public school integration and civil rights; the "Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School…

From 1998 to 2008, voters in California, Arizona, and Massachusetts passed anti-bilingual education ballot initiatives that required English-only instruction for the vast majority of the states' English language learners. The contentious political discourse leading up to the votes largely ignored the research on best practices for educating…

Student lobbyists have sent Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings a letter scolding her for what they see as a minimizing of student representation at the higher-education summit held last week. The Department of Education responded by saying that students had indeed been invited to participate. The letter, which was signed by Jennifer S. Pae,…

This paper examines the reasons behind a historic shift in the language couching the wage demands of two North American labor movements during the last twenty years of the 19th century--the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor. We trace how the once dominant imagery of "wage slavery" lost its connection to producerist labor…

This paper considers ethical issues surrounding the education of students with significant hearing losses. Rather than focusing on history or current challenges, it looks ahead to the not-too-distant future to examine the likely collision of ethics, pedagogy and politics. To a large extent, ethical issues looming on the horizon can be tied back to…

The study reported here employed a mixed factorial design to experimentally investigate the effects of message format on memory for the source of information. Political messages were presented in 3 types of formats: conventional political ads, news-like political ads, and news stories. Memory for the source of information was measured directly…

Scholars have devoted considerable attention to the informational role of international institutions. However, several questions about the informational aspects of institutional behavior remain underexplored: What determines how audiences respond to institutional decisions? Through what channels does information provision affect foreign policy? To…

In contemplating the roles and responsibilities of intellectuals in the 21st century, the notion of "difference" is significant in at least two senses. First, work on the politics of difference allows us to consider the question "For whom does the intellectual speak?" in a fresh light. Second, we can ask: "To what extent, and in what ways, might…

This study examined the effects of felt accountability, political skill, and job tension on job performance ratings. Specifically, we hypothesized that felt accountability would lead to higher (lower) job performance ratings when coupled with high (low) levels of political skill, and that these relationships would be mediated by job tension. Data…

This article reports on the draft bill that outlines key House members' plans to change the accountability system by measuring students' academic growth and adding other indicators to those in reading and mathematics. The release this week of a preliminary proposal for reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act starts a busy fall in…

The question of religious education is one of the most controversial questions in the current discussions on religion and politics in Russia. Most notably a new subject, Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture (FOC), is of interest because it differs markedly from Western European approaches to religious education. Referring to "Culturology"…

This article previews the governmental system of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and offers a criticism of current tribal government operations. The focus of this article is for individuals to critically look into each of their own tribal government systems and remove paradigms or people that do harm or impede the prosperity of their…

Addresses constitutional issues of political activity by religious organizations and the "accommodation" of religion by the government. Reports that tax-exempt status places a stricture against political lobbying and prohibits endorsement of political candidates. Gives recommendations to consider when pursuing an activity that might seem…

A coalition of school, civil rights, and child-advocacy groups handed a list of 14 recommendations for changing the federal No Child Left Behind Act to congressional staff members at the U.S. Capitol early January 2006, just a day after President Bush vigorously defended the law on its fourth anniversary. Consequences of the law demand these…