Education & Pedagogy

This Congressional hearing on the reauthorization of the Bilingual Education Act, held in McAllen Texas, focuses on issues to consider in the reauthorization of the Bilingual Education Act. After opening statements by Chairman Michael Castle and Representative Ruben Hinojosa, both of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives, there are seven statements by the following individuals: Ellen M. Gonzalez, Associate Executive Director, Region One Education Service Center, Edinburg, Texas; Josefina Villamil Tinajero, Assistant Dean and Professor of Bilingual Education, University of Texas El Paso, Texas; Gloria F. Garza, kindergarten teacher, Pharr, Texas; Alba Ortiz, Associate Dean, University of Texas Austin, Texas; Gilberto Anzaldua, Superintendent, El Paso Independent School District, Texas; Gloria Gallegos, Executive Director of Special Programs, Pasadena Independent School District, Texas; and Hilda Medrano, Deal of College of Education, University of Texas, Pan American, Edinburg, Texas. Eight appendixes present the opening statement and written statements. (SM)

This report suggests that teacher education faculty must have opportunities to learn about technology and infuse it into the teacher education curriculum, noting the importance of identifying and designing meaningful technology applications to enhance student learning in the academic disciplines and make clear that technology is for everyone. The Technology Infusion Project (TIP) provides Winston-Salem State University with a comprehensive response to such imperatives. TIP's goals are to align course content with professional standards, enhance collaboration between the School of Education and School of Arts and Sciences, enhance the use and integration of advanced technologies in teacher education, and facilitate the preparation of content- and technology-proficient preservice teachers. Through this initiative, the School of Education has recruited new teacher education students and provided intensive, product-oriented faculty training, facilities, incentives, and partnerships leading to the integration of technology across the teacher education curriculum (product-based approach). This paper presents a rationale for the TIP, describes TIP design and activities, and offers results, lessons learned, and recommendations (e.g., information for student teachers is more current, a high level of intrinsic motivation is required, and involving other disciplines and providing tangible incentives is important. (SM)

Many states have already begun the task of creating a more "seamless" education system that stretches from kindergarten through the undergraduate years (K-16). Support for this integration of the education system is growing, although the obstacles are recognized as formidable. A conference was held to discuss ways of bring such a seamless system into being. Conference participants deliberated about five key issues previously identified as relevant to the pursuit of the seamless system, and each of the five roundtables was stimulated by background papers prepared for the conference. The five papers, presented in an appendix, are: (1) "Equity: Why Is K-16 Collaboration Essential to Educational Equity?" (Kati Haycock); (2) "Governance: Governance and the Connection between Community, Higher Education, and Schools" (Ira Harkavy); (3) "Standards: Bridging the Great Divide between Secondary Schools and Postsecondary Education" (Michael Kirst and Andrea Venezia); (4) "Teachers: Improving Teacher Preparation: Research, Practice and Policy Implications" (Arturo Pacheco); and (5) "Community: Inter-Level Educational Collaboration for Civic Capacity Building: The Role of Local Education Funds" (Wendy D. Puriefoy). (SLD)

Public education stands as a monolith in a world alive with fruitful change. Across the 50 states, the changes that parents and taxpayers want in public education are being misdirected and blocked by a powerful and self-serving union that has been taking control of public education since 1857. Evidence is presented in this book that the National Education Association's (NEA) goals are to create one national system of education and to control this system for its own ends. The author argues that the NEA's strategy is to corrupt and subvert local control of education in order to build its power and promote its social agenda, even to the detriment of students' mastery of academics. The author claims that the NEA is the most violent of all public-sector labor unions; uses its power and wealth to control and intimidate teachers who disagree with its ideology and tactics; and blocks competition, vouchers, and free-market charter schools. The author contends that the changes many seek are not possible while the NEA remains the controlling force in public education. Appendix A contains a list of alternative teacher and teacher-assistance organizations. Appendix B contains a list of compulsory unionism and right-to-work states. (RT)

This document provides a look at the state of the arts in the southeastern region of the National Art Education Education Association. The data for the report were collected originally to assist the Georgia Art Education Association to advocate for the arts in education during the year 2000. It proved to be difficult to obtain consistent data from the survey questions because people rotated in and out of the Georgia State Department of Education. The survey was expanded to included the southeastern United States and it also proved to be difficult to obtain consistent data. The data from the survey are organized by categories about the arts (arts requirements for high school graduation; arts requirements for college entrance; state standards for the arts; state assessment measures in the arts; state arts education legislation; certification requirements for arts teachers; professional development requirements for arts teachers; other state activities related to arts education; current legislative/advocacy efforts; state funding formulas for funding arts education; types of state testing for certification; supply funding; and then by each state in the southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. (BT)

Ethics and social responsibility are the subject of both curriculum materials and research in adult and vocational education. State academic standards and curriculum frameworks address citizenship and personal and social responsibility. Ethical and legal issues for specific occupations are addressed in curricula issued by states, professional associations, and educational institutions. Research studies examine the ethical inclinations and decision making of secondary and postsecondary students, as well as the effects of ethics instruction. Methods and resources used in ethics instruction include case studies, heroes as a model for ethical behavior, and a combination of critical thinking and ethics instruction. Service learning projects are recommended for developing social responsibility. Web sites offer resources for ethics instruction. The adult and vocational education literature reflect ethical issues for educators. A long list of ethical issues arises in the use of technology and the Internet, including power, access, control, intellectual property rights, privacy, equity, free speech, and access for minors. The ongoing debate over the mission of adult education presents many ethical dilemmas. (Annotations are provided for 21 resources and 3 Web sites.) (YLB)

This resource directory examines entrepreneurship education and training programs at all levels of education, with an emphasis on programs in the 13 Appalachian states served by the Appalachian Regional Commission. An introduction is followed by short sections describing the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education. A section on national entrepreneurship training programs and organizations presents 22 such organizations. The section on policy, advocacy, and information organizations contains 25 entries. Model programs in Appalachia are presented in a section containing 28 entries for Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Thirty-five sample programs for the rest of the United States are covered in the following section. In each of these sections, contact information and an abstract of activities are given for each organization, usually accompanied by focus, geographic area, age levels served, products and services, and key partners. Programs serve elementary, secondary, undergraduate, postgraduate, and adult educational levels. Some programs target students with disabilities, minority groups, women, or adjudicated youth. Concluding sections list education partners and resources for classroom materials. (TD)

This digest describes parent involvement in their children's education from the perspective of migrant parents and educators and offers strategies to enhance the experience of schooling for migrant students and their families. Teachers often perceive parent involvement as preparing children for school, attending school events, and fulfilling teacher requests. The life circumstances of migrant parents preclude such activities. In addition, teachers and parents may define education differently; teachers define education as academically oriented instruction, while migrant parents perceive education in terms of forming the child's character through appropriate child rearing practices. Despite barriers to migrant parent participation, most migrant parents want their children to succeed in school. Family intervention programs should recognize that parents may contribute to the education process through either environmental resources or emotional and motivational resources. While migrant parents often lack environmental resources (economic resources, education, familiarity with education systems), they can provide a wealth of emotional resources to their children. Mexican American parents with low education levels often use cultural narratives ("consejos") to motivate their children. Sixteen strategies to engage migrant families in the schooling experience are listed. (Contains 10 references.) (SV)

Critics of bilingual education claim that research supporting native language instruction is weak, a claim that has been echoed by some prominent supporters of bilingual education. This claim has had a damaging effect on the political fate of bilingual education in some states. This paper argues that the primary metric used to support this critique, the percentage of research studies meta-analysts consider methodologically acceptable, is a vague and not widely-accepted approach for weighing the quality of research. Data for the study come from prominent research reviews in the field of education and social sciences and from a random sample of empirical literature reviews from two major journals of research reviews. This paper suggests that the percentage of studies found methodologically acceptable in bilingual education research is not very different from similar federally funded research in education and the social sciences. It notes that there is little basis for comparison for bilingual education research and other psychology- and education-related literatures, since percentages of methodologically acceptable studies are rarely reported in research reviews. It concludes that higher quality research is necessary but should not be viewed in isolation to real-world constraints on such endeavors. (Contains 10 references.) (SM)

This report summarizes information from states that responded to a survey on access to adult education opportunities for youth with disabilities. Information was gathered from 43 states during the months of March and April 1999. Results indicate: (1) 26 of the responding states authorized the use of federal and state public education funds for all students through the age of 21, and 9 states through the age of 20; (2) 33 of the responding states do not consider a General Education Diploma (GED) to be a regular high school diploma and allow youth with a GED to continue to be eligible for funds under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); (3) state laws in 36 of the responding states allow any youth to take adult education courses and to meet secondary school requirements; and (4) in at least 22 states, students with disabilities who drop out of high school have the option of fulfilling graduation requirements or transition requirements under IDEA by taking adult education courses. Inquiry results by states are presented in a table at the end of the report. (CR)

This report takes stock of key changes in the world today and their implications for education (Chapter 1), reiterates the vision for education in the new millennium (Chapter 2), takes stock of progress so far and the gaps that remain (Chapter 3), describes the rich group of partners in the educational endeavor (Chapter 4) and how the Bank's role has evolved (Chapter 5). This all sets the context for the strategy that is now guiding activities and setting priorities in the education sector. Chapter 6 describes the Bank's global priorities and programs to help countries progress toward the international education goals and improve the quality of teaching and learning. Chapter 7 describes the processes and operating principles that will help Bank staff contribute more effectively to better educational outcomes in each client country and to monitor success in implementing this strategy. Chapter titles include: (1) "The Context: Education in a Changing World"; (2) "The Vision: Quality Education for All"; (3) Education Today: Progress Achieved, Progress Needed"; (4) "Partnering: A World of Opportunities"; (5) "The Bank's Role Thus Far: Learning by Doing"; (6) "Moving Forward: What the Bank Will Do"; and (7) "Moving Forward: How the Bank Will Do It." (Author/LB)

This reports presents interview findings with education policymakers on various aspects of educational research. The sampling contained the following groups: superintendents and other local education officials; chief state school officers; state higher education executive officers; state legislators; governors' educational policy advisors; congressional staff members; and education association executive directors. Altogether, 142 interviews were conducted. The interviews covered the following aspects of educational research: (1) research priority areas from policymakers' perspectives; (2) access to and use of existing research; (3) assessment of existing research; and (4) suggestions for improving education research. Student achievement--especially achievement in reading, math, and science--and its relationship to effective instruction, curricula, programs, and policies was the highest priority for research shared by the policymakers interviewed across groups. Respondents also expressed the importance of research in teacher development and quality; assessment and accountability; educational finance; and achievement gaps. Among major policy interests, respondents cited the financing of education as their major concern. Appended are the study's methodology, interview protocol and instrument, a sample introductory letter, and counts by frequency of reading research reports. (WFA)

This book contains a detailed description of the challenges faced by educational finance and budgeting in Cambodia. Until recently, educational financing took the form of emergency budgets and was limited to government planning for teacher salaries and costs of examinations. There has been a general lack of coordination between provinces and the central government in education finance and budgeting. The report is organized into five sections: (1) "Introduction" includes general background information on Cambodia and its education system; (2) "Financial Issues in Cambodian Education" addresses macroeconomic and broad issues, budget issues, internal finance issues, patterns and trends in education spending, and disbursement performance for education from 1996 to 1999; (3)"Procedures of Budget Preparation in Cambodia" discusses the general framework of procedures for budget preparation; (4) "Procedures of Budget Implementation" describes the general procedures for budget implementation; and (5) "Recommendation" contains 10 specific recommendations for improving the education budgeting process. Also included in the report are 10 appendices that generally supplement the text with graphs, charts, tables, and outlines of procedures. (WFA)

This document contains the second year of the U.S. Department of Education's 2002-07 Strategic Plan. The plan outlines the strategies and actions the department will undertake to meet its goals, and it defines the measures and targets the department will use to determine success of the plan. Detailed are the six goals, along with their objectives, of the plan. The six goals are as follows: (1) create a culture of achievement; (2) improve student achievement; (3) develop safe schools and strong character; (4) transform education into an evidence-based field; (5) enhance the quality of and access to postsecondary and adult education; and (6) establish management excellence throughout the Department of Education. Also included are details on interim adjustments to the 2002-07 Strategic Plan; a glossary of abbreviations and acronyms; a brief bibliography; and the following appendices: "Budget-to-Objective Crosswalk"; "Action Step Crosswalk: 2003-2004"; "Information Quality Guidelines"; and "Overview of New Directions for Program Evaluation." (WFA)

This report presents information about the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the state of higher education in Illinois. The Illinois Board of Higher Education, a 15-member board, is responsible for planning and coordinating the states system of higher education. The Board has statutory responsibilities for master planning, the budget, program approval, institution approval, grants administration, and information systems. The Board has adopted the Illinois Commitment, a strategic plan that sets forth six goals for higher education in Illinois. The report contains information on the higher education budget for fiscal year 2004, a budget that includes $2.4 billion in state general funds. Details are provided for public universities, community colleges, adult education, and other aspects of the higher education system. Some policy initiatives are highlighted, including the Boards Committee on Affordability and its Faculty Diversity Study. A brief profile of higher education in Illinois is also included. In fall 2002, there were 781,190 students at 187 public and private colleges and universities in Illinois, representing a 3.8% increase over 2001. Details are provided about student characteristics, enrollment, finances, graduates, and programs. (Contains 15 figures and 5 maps.) (SLD)