Education & Pedagogy

"The Achiever" is a monthly publication designed expressly for parents and community leaders. Each issue contains news and information about school improvement in the United States. Highlights of this issue include: (1) Spellings Convenes National Summit on Higher Education; (2) Noble Street: Chicago Charter High School Creates a Culture of Learning to Pave the Road to Higher Education; (3) Spellings Addresses Higher Education Summit; (4) Around the Country: Ohio and Oregon; (5) Q&A: Striving Readers Grant Program; (6) News Show Looks at Charters, School Choice; and (7) Finding What Works in Education.

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) President Bush Releases Fiscal Year 2007 Budget: Education Funding Cut by $2.1 Billion; $100 Million Request for Striving Readers; and (2) State of the State Addresses: Governors Agree on Importance of Math and Science to Future Productivity. This issue also contains a special insert that outlines the president's fiscal year 2007 budget request for selected education programs designed to help middle and high school students. (Contains 1 footnote.)

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Divided We Stall?: Prospects for Education Reform Unclear After Republicans Take Control in the House of Representatives, Gain Ground in Senate; (2) "A Call for Change": New Report Finds that, from Cradle to Career, Black Males Fall Behind; and (3) "U.S. Math Performance in Global Perspective": U.S. Students with Advanced Math Skills Lag Behind International High-Achieving Peers. (Contains 1 footnote.)

The Secretary proposes to amend the regulations governing the Assistance to States for Education of Children with Disabilities Program, the Preschool Grants for Children With Disabilities Program, and Service Obligations under Special Education Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities. These amendments are needed to implement recently enacted changes made to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as amended by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004.

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) Charting a New Course toward Racial Integration: Districts Seek Legal Routes to Capture the Benefits of Diversity (Brigid Schulte); (2) Voluntary Integration: Two Views--(a) "Just Make Our Schools Better" (Carol Swain) and (b) "Separate but Equal Doesn't Work" (Gary Orfield); and (3) Creating Coherence in District Administration: A Framework Based on the Work of the Public Education Leadership Project (Stacey Childress, Richard F. Elmore, Allen S. Grossman, and Susan Moore Johnson).

To improve performance, Connecticut must: (1) Increase student access and success in all types of postsecondary education (4-year, 2-year, training), particularly in critical workforce fields; (2) Reach consensus on what constitutes a "college-ready" curriculum for high school students; (3) Improve college graduation rates; and (4) Provide stable state support for operating expenses and student financial aid. This brochure highlights some of the performance indicators used by Connecticut's public higher education institutions to demonstrate accountability. [For related reports, see "Higher Education Counts: Achieving Results. 2009 Executive Summary" (ED528174); and "Higher Education Counts: Achieving Results. 2009 Report" (ED528171).]

Higher education provides a broad array of benefits to both individuals and society. While such a statement has been a long-held belief in American higher education, only recently has the combination of social and economic benefits that accrue from the investment in higher education received sustained attention. This study attempts to build on recent efforts to better describe the broad national benefits of higher education by calculating state-by-state benefits using readily available data from the U.S. Census. The six indicators chosen for this analysis convincingly show that almost every state benefits from higher education in every indicator, even as some states benefit more than others. 7 tables are appended.

Comprehensive sexuality education programs are based on the idea that young people have the right to be informed about their sexuality and to make responsible decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. Despite demonstrating the ability to help youth delay the onset of sexual activity, reduce frequency and number of sexual partners, and increase condom and contraceptive use, such programs continue to come under attack by supporters of abstinence-only education. With much misinformation being propagated about comprehensive sexuality education, it is time to put the debate to rest and debunk some of the more common myths about comprehensive sexuality education. This paper presents myths and facts about comprehensive sex education.

In the last several years the universities in Ontario have been absorbing into their curricula the programs of teacher education and the health sciences. In 1971 the Minister of University Affairs referred in a letter to the presidents of provincially-assisted universities to a need to extend the inventory of physical resources and the capital funding formula to embrace teacher education and the health sciences. To this end, four task forces were assigned to study the overall situation. One of these task forces was the Task Force on Space for Education and had as its mandate to concentrate on the space needs of faculties and colleges of education and to make recommendations concerning this area. This document presents their report. (HS)

State agencies and organizations are playing an increasingly significant role in American higher education. With rising educational costs, increasingly complex programs, and burgeoning enrollments have come a movement toward State governing and coordinating boards designed to provide lay leadership in the advancement of public higher education. In 1960, the U.S. Office of Education published a volume entitled "State Boards Responsible for Higher Education," a volume whose introductory chapters, analytical tables and State-by-State descriptions of the organization of State boards proved a valuable resource for all concerned with higher education. This document is intended to provide an update of that publication by providing a factual description of arrangements now made by the States for governing and coordinating their higher education programs. (Author/HS)

This report contains 31 group discussion reports and the texts of two speeches delivered at the general session. These speeches, both dealing with relevance in the curriculum, were presented by W. H. Worth, Deputy Minister of Advanced Education in Alberta and the Honorable Thomas L. Wells, Minister of Education. The discussion reports are organized under (1) curriculum change, (2) environmental factors influencing curriculum, (3) alternative models, (4) teacher preparation, and (5) education for the future. Two of the reports (one concerning environmental factors influencing curriculum and the other on education for the future) are in French. The minutes of the business session conclude the report. (MLF)

This guide presents an overview of a federally funded career education program for implementation at the elementary level. As part of a comprehensive exemplary program with integrated activities, outlines of the following program considerations are included: (1) overall goals and concepts in career education, (2) specific objectives involving teacher orientation, parental and community involvement, and student career development, (3) inservice training methods, (4) classroom teaching techniques, and (5) suggested evaluation designs in career education. Developed by a teacher with the aid of curriculum specialists, this document includes a rationale for career education and appended resource materials. (AG)

Designed to provide an input to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Committee on Occupational Education, this study took on national significance and is the first comprehensive study of accreditation for occupational education. This study outlines the development, organization, and procedures of the regional specialized, and governmental accrediting agencies in the United States. The arguments for and against separate accreditation of occupational education are discussed. Because of the rapid growth of occupational education, problems still exist in judging its effectiveness. In addition to a review of literature, procedures included letters soliciting information, personal interviews, and the use of questionnaires. Suggestions for future action on the part of accrediting agencies are included. (Author/GEB)

This study identified the characteristics of 456 of the 524 students who were granted a master's degree by the School of Education of De Paul University from 1966 through 1969 in one of the following 9 areas: business education; curriculum directorship; elementary education; guidance and counseling; reading; school administration; and secondary education. Information was obtained and analyzed for the following characteristics: (1) birthplace; (2) undergraduate education; (3) residence; (4) undergraduate degree; (5) admission status; (6) gradepoint average entering the program; (7) age beginning graduate study; (8) area of specialization; (9) degree granted; (10) gradepoint average completing graduate study; (11) age concluding degree requirements; (12) time consumed to complete degree requirements; and (13) Graduate Record Examination scores. (AF)

To provide current information on vocational education, proceedings of the 1970 American Vocational Association Convention were prepared by recorders appointed for each area. Sections are: (1) General Sessions, (2) Awards and Citations, (3) House of Delegates, (4) Program of Work and Policy Resolutions, (5) Departments of Adult, Postsecondary, Secondary, and Teacher Education, (6) Departments of Research, Administration, Evaluation, and Supervision, (7) Educational Divisions of Agriculture, Business and Office, Distribution, Home Economics, Industrial Arts, Technical, and Trade and Industry, (8) Divisions of New and Related Services, including Guidance, Health Occupations Education, Manpower, Research and Vocational and Instructional Materials, (9) Related Groups and Organizations, and (10) A listing of architectural, commercial, and educational exhibits. (AS)