Education & Pedagogy

Parental involvement is critical to a child's success in school. This handbook provides parents with information about the Grade 3 curriculum in Catholic schools in Alberta, Canada. Based on the Alberta Education "Program of Studies: Elementary Schools," the handbook describes the knowledge, skills, and attitudes Catholic school students in Alberta are expected to demonstrate when they have completed the Grade 3 curriculum, including samples of what students are expected to learn in each subject. Following introductory material, sections include: (1) "What Is Curriculum?"; (2) "Religious Education";(3) "Language Arts"; (4) "Mathematics"; (5) "Science"; (6) "Social Studies"; (7) "Learner Outcomes in Technology"; (8) "Physical Education"; (9) "Health"; (10) "Fine Arts"; and (11)"Languages Other Than English." The handbook concludes with a one-page questionnaire asking for feedback on the handbook. (LPP)

Parental involvement is critical to a child's success in school. This handbook provides parents with information about the Grade 2 curriculum in Catholic schools in Alberta, Canada. Based on the Alberta Education "Program of Studies: Elementary Schools," the handbook describes the knowledge, skills, and attitudes Catholic school students in Alberta are expected to demonstrate when they have completed the Grade 2 curriculum, including samples of what students are expected to learn in each subject. Following introductory material, sections include: (1) "What Is Curriculum?"; (2) "Religious Education";(3) "Language Arts"; (4) "Mathematics"; (5) "Science"; (6) "Social Studies"; (7) "Learner Outcomes in Technology"; (8) "Physical Education"; (9) "Health"; (10) "Fine Arts"; and (11)"Languages Other Than English." The handbook concludes with a one-page questionnaire asking for feedback on the handbook. (LPP)

Parental involvement is critical to a child's success in school. This handbook provides parents with information about the Grade 1 curriculum in Catholic schools in Alberta, Canada. Based on the Alberta Education "Program of Studies: Elementary Schools," the handbook describes the knowledge, skills, and attitudes Catholic school students in Alberta are expected to demonstrate when they have completed the Grade 1 curriculum, including samples of what students are expected to learn in each subject. Following introductory material, sections include: (1) "What Is Curriculum?"; (2) "Religious Education";(3) "Language Arts"; (4) "Mathematics"; (5) "Science"; (6) "Social Studies"; (7) "Learner Outcomes in Technology"; (8) "Physical Education"; (9) "Health"; (10) "Fine Arts"; and (11)"Languages Other Than English." The handbook concludes with a one-page questionnaire asking for feedback on the handbook. (LPP)

This report presents findings of a Kentucky state task force which studied the current status of Kentucky's postsecondary education system. Ten advisory groups across the state, comprised of postsecondary education stakeholders, developed position papers to identify critical issues and make recommendations. Individual chapters address the following issues: the importance of the state's postsecondary education system to its future; the barriers to achieving an efficient and coordinated system; and five goals for creating a comprehensive postsecondary education system. The task force did not offer specific recommendations for change but did urge reform of and strategic investment in the state's postsecondary education system. The report identifies five barriers to progress: (1) a structure to link all postsecondary education resources with a long-range strategy is lacking; (2) current funding mechanisms serve as disincentives for program efficiency and institutional cooperation; (3) postsecondary education lacks incentives for the attainment of quality and pursuit of excellence; (4) Kentucky seriously lags the nation and competitor states in research and development activity; and (5) the current system has no comprehensive strategy to maximize the use of existing and emerging technologies. (Contains 22 references.) (DB)

This book presents an overview of the interplay of religion and public education. The book states that schools must take religion seriously, and it outlines the civic, constitutional, and educational frameworks that should shape the treatment of religion in the curriculum and classroom. It examines religion's absence from the classroom and the growing consensus over the incorporation of religion in the schools, using the principles of this consensus and its implications to analyze their effects on the curriculum. Part 2 discusses the role of religion in elementary education, moral education, and secondary school courses in history, civics, and economics, literature and the arts, and the sciences. One chapter is devoted to religion courses: those that deal with the Bible, with world religions, and with the relationship of religion to moral education and sex education. To clarify the context of religion and education, the new national education standards' position on religion is described. It is argued that schools teach students to think about matters that are religiously controversial in exclusively and uncritically secular ways. (Contains 70 references and an index.) (RJM)

Information on elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher learning aggregated at a state level is presented. The report contains a wide array of statistical data ranging from enrollments and enrollment ratios to teacher salaries and institutional finances. The state-level statistics most frequently requested from the National Center for Education Statistics are included. The analytical tables draw on information available in the "Digest of Education Statistics, 1997" and other material. The first section of the report provides tables of data on the context of education in the states. These tables include information such as educational attainment, population statistics, income and poverty rates, and limited English proficiency. The second section of tables contains information on elementary and secondary education, with data on enrollment, the numbers of teachers and staff, the number of schools, and revenues and expenditures. Similar information is provided in the third section for postsecondary education including vocational and technical education. A guide to data sources is included. (Contains 21 figures and 92 tables.) (SLD)

The Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) program is a statewide parent education and support program for all families in Minnesota with children between birth and kindergarten. This document describes the program evaluation procedures and contains forms related to the evaluation. The program evaluation uses a multi-level approach incorporating needs assessment, monitoring and accountability, quality review and program clarification, and outcome evaluation. Included in the document is the "Early Childhood Family Education Program Quality Indicators," an instrument to assist ECFE programs in program planning and self-evaluation, listing quality indicators in the following program component areas: (1) community assessment, outreach, and input; (2) parent education; (3) early childhood education and parent-child interaction; and (4) program operations. The ECFE program's guiding principles, mission statement, and goals are delineated. Also included in the document are the Early Childhood Family Education Program Participant Questionnaire, a list of the evaluation forms for program evaluation data collection, a description of the needs assessment process, and the Early Childhood Family Education Annual Report form. (KB)

Noting demographic and socio-political shifts in Europe, this paper discusses challenges facing early childhood education in providing children with sufficient competence to cope successfully with discontinuities in their lives caused by rapidly changing social conditions and family structure. The paper outlines some contextual conditions which need to be considered when defining quality education, then focuses on three aspects of European early childhood education of central importance in terms of social integration: social integration of children with special needs, intercultural education as a reality in Europe, and continuities versus discontinuities, or coping with transitions. The educational-political consequences of multicultural education are outlined, including official recognition of multicultural groups, the right to kindergarten education for all children, and the necessity intercultural education and teacher training. The paper also discusses current trends in daycare in Europe, outlining the different types of institutions, creating networks between institutions, training staff, and political decisions regarding the relationship between state regulation and regional profiles. (JPB)

This bulletin summarizes key elements of an effective AIDS training and education program for law enforcement and corrections personnel. First, these key elements of training and education for criminal justice personnel are discussed: staff participation in materials development; timely and frequent training; mandatory training; live training by knowledgeable trainers; training keyed to criminal justice and law enforcement; avoiding alarmism and complacency; and the positive influence of criminal justice personnel as educators in the community. Two figures list recommended subjects for law enforcement AIDS training and education programs and educational and action messages for AIDS-related training that correspond to specified issues/concerns. Second, key elements of training and education for offenders are summarized: live training presentations and videotapes; individual counseling; prerelease training; inmate newspapers; content of offender training: sexual activities and needle sharing; and training and education in jail. Definitions and means of transmission of HIV infection and AIDS are highlighted in a box. (YLB)

Pennsylvania does not have a legislatively mandated program in place for assessing teacher education programs in institutions of higher education. This study was conducted to examine how Pennsylvania's public and private universities and colleges assess the quality of their teacher education programs. Deans and/or chairs of teacher education programs from all higher education institutions in the state were contacted by the Pennsylvania Academy for the Profession of Teaching. Participants (23 institutions), selected at random, responded to a survey instrument designed to investigate assessment procedures used in determining quality of teacher education programs. Findings indicate: scholastic aptitude test scores and high school class standing are the two largest determinants for accepting students; internally derived factors are perceived to be more important than externally derived processes; and greater emphasis has been placed on more traditional, quantitative measures than on qualitative indices. Tabular results, recommendations, and an extensive bibliography are included. Appendices consist of copies of the survey instrument, the letter introducing the project, responses to the survey instrument; and comments from respondents. (LL)

This document describes the expectations for student learning in Alberta, Canada, through the levels of elementary education. The content of the program of studies described focuses on what students are expected to know and be able to do across all the subject areas of early childhood and elementary education. Although the material is organized by subject and by grade levels, integration across content areas and awareness of individual differences within groups are encouraged. Each subject area is discussed in terms of program rationale and philosophy, and general and specific expectations of learners. The discussion of expectations for each subject area concerns topics, objectives, grade level, and basic learning resources. Subject areas covered are: (1) computer literacy; (2) the fine arts; (3) health; (4) language learning (divided into language arts, French language arts, French as a Second Language, Ukrainian Language Arts, the native languages, including Blackfoot language and culture programs, and Cree language and culture program); (5) mathematics; (6) physical education; (7) science; and (8) social studies. (Author/SH)

A summary of current demographic trends, best practices, and federal initiatives in adult literacy is presented as a reference for practitioners in the field who are involved in delivering education services to adults with limited English skills. The report is based on U.S. Department of Education annual state adult education statistical and performance reports, summaries of selected special research, demonstration and teacher training projects, conversations with state and local English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instructors and administrators, professional organizations, state directors of adult education, and reports from federal compliance reviews and site visits. This report contains chapters on: the ESL program in adult education; state perspectives on issues and actions; promising practices; and federal commitment. Appended are excerpts from the Adult Education Act; a list of state directors of adult education and ESL consultants; ESL enrollments by state; an annotated bibliography of selected ESL demonstration and teacher training projects; suggested resources; and a bibliography that contains 13 references. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education) (LB)

The relationship between investment in education and economic growth in Alberta, Canada, is explored in this paper, which examines the value of education to the individual in terms of rate of employment and salary. Assuming earning differentials to be a measure of the contribution of education to economic growth, the lifetime earnings of high school graduates were compared to those of two groups: those with less than grade 9 education and those with some high school education. Findings indicate that completion of high school is profitable, especially for females, and that a direct positive relationship exists between education spending and the gross domestic product (GDP) in Alberta. A conclusion is that educated people earn higher salaries and contribute more to the economy in terms of increased productivity and spending and that there are good reasons why the completion of high school and public investment in education should be encouraged. Seven figures and 15 tables are included. Appendices contain data on male and female average incomes in Alberta, the GDP, and basic education costs. (Contains 24 references.) (LMI)

A total of 235 vocational, technical, and adult education (VTAE) master's degree recipients participated in a study to determine motivation for participation in off-campus credit programs. The study population participated in off-campus degree programs in VTAE at Marshall University (West Virginia). An information sheet collected demographic and situational data. The Education Participation Scale (Boshier, 1982) was used to determine the motivational orientation. The 40 items on the 4-point response scale were divided into 6 factors: social contact, social stimulation, professional advancement, community service, external expectations, and cognitive interest. Findings indicated that graduates were more inclined to be enrolled for professional advancement and cognitive interest reasons. Older participants were more inclined to be enrolled for community service reasons. Motivational orientations were found to differ among persons in different occupational fields. The study was recommended as baseline data for further studies in motivational research pertaining to VTAE. (Appendixes include a list of 10 references, 2 figures, and 4 tables.) (YLB)

This report of proceedings present papers and commentary from an invitational conference called by the Center for Mathematics and Science Education (Texas A&M University) to consider school science education reform. Topics of discussion were Project 2061 (American Association for the Advancement of Science) and the Scope, Sequence, and Coordination Project of the National Science Teacher's Association. Each project addresses basic changes in the organization and presentation of the science curriculum and emphasizes an integrated approach to the study of science, including the components of problem solving and higher order thinking skills. The report includes two keynote addresses: "The Implications of National Science Education Reform Efforts" (James Rutherford) and "Scope, Sequence, and Coordination Project" (Bill G. Aldridge). Both addresses provide a relevant context for discussion of the ideas of the two reform projects and their extensions to teacher education. Subsequent discussions by participants are synthesized and included in the document, along with a list of participants. (LL)