Education & Pedagogy

This document lists goals and recommendations for improving American Indian education in Idaho. Recommendations are directed toward state and local governments, school officials and educators, tribal governments and American Indian communities, the State Board of Education, colleges and universities, community organizations, and parents. Goals include: (1) preparing American Indian children for future educational experiences by providing early childhood education programs that are culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate; (2) establishing a school environment that respects, maintains, and promotes American Indian values, languages, and traditions; (3) increasing recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of American Indian students in Idaho's 2- and 4-year colleges and universities including postsecondary vocational and technical institutions; (4) increasing the number of American Indian faculty and administrative and professional staff at Idaho's colleges and universities; (5) encouraging American Indian parents, tribal officials, and community leaders to participate in the education of American Indian students; (6) raising the self-esteem and cultural pride of American Indian students; (7) developing comprehensive guidance and counseling programs in Idaho schools that meet the career, personal, and social needs of American Indian students and their families; and (8) expanding adult basic education programs for American Indians. (LP)

This monograph presents six papers that analyze the current state of research and practice in continuing professional education. Papers address: (1) the problems confronting effective research and policymaking presented by the diverse and unorganized nature of the continuing professional education enterprise; (2) what is known concerning the learning and teaching experience in continuing professional education, paying particular attention to the ways that have been tried to assess learning and educational effectiveness in such programs; (3) the state of regulation, governance, and quality assurance in continuing professional education and the relationship of these issues to questions of finance and whether such education is mandatory or voluntary; (4) whether collaboration and cooperation exist across professional and provider boundaries and, if so, what motivates it; (5) the state of continuing professional education in Europe, especially the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Netherlands; and (6) how one accounting firm in particular, and the accounting profession in general, has approached the design, delivery, and assessment of continuing professional education. Appendices include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Statement of Standards for Formal Group and Formal Self-Study Programs. (GLR)

This report describes the development process of a distance education program in Sri Lanka run by the Institute of Distance Education for nongraduate teachers inservice, and presents results of the program's evaluation. Two teacher education courses--an elementary education course and a combined science/mathematics course--were offered. The courses ran for 3 years. The overall aims of the evaluation were to assess the performance of program participants, to evaluate the internal efficiency of the program, and to make recommendations concerning its future. The evaluation was carried out by two Swedish consultants, who were responsible for the bulk of the training, and one Sri Lankan. Data were collected through a survey of course graduates, classroom observation of teaching practices, and interviews with relevant officials and program staff. Results suggest that the distance program is functioning well and has become established among Sri Lankan teachers and educators as an acceptable mode of delivery for teacher education, and that the market for the program will exist into the foreseeble future. Appendixes provide evaluation methodology and a listing of interviewees. (Contains approximately 30 references.) (LL)

The Bilingual Education Act (BEA) title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), is the federal program intended to help children who are limited English proficient (LEP) learn English. BEA activities focus on transitional bilingual education; developmental bilingual education; special alternative instruction (such as English as Second Language and immersion); academic excellence projects; family English literacy projects; and bilingual preschool, special education, and gifted and talented projects. The BEA supports grants to states for data collection, evaluation assistance centers, studies, and a national clearinghouse. The BEA also funds personnel training in the area of bilingual education, the operation of resource centers, and finances a bilingual education fellowship program. Six potential issues that Congress may consider in the reauthorization of the BEA are discussed in this report and include limitations on funding for special alternative instruction projects, federal guidance to states on a standard definition of LEP, a research agenda for the 1990s, and the low completion rate of BEA fellowship recipients. (JP)

Perceptions and values of Oregon professional foresters on components of forestry education were evaluated. Three objectives guided the study: (1) the importance foresters place on incorporating forestry education in school curriculum; (2) foresters' opinions about agency involvement in schools; and (3) the value foresters place on forestry instruction in secondary school curriculum. A survey instrument was developed to collect information relative to the three objectives on: forest education perceptions, forest education solutions, high school instructional units, and demographic information. The study population was composed of 600 full members of the Oregon Society of American Foresters; 400 usable responses were analyzed. Five major findings pertained to study objectives: (1) forestry education should be infused into school curricula; (2) there was no adequate forestry education on environmental issues; (3) foresters should promote forestry education; (4) the timber industry's involvement in forestry education is poor; and (5) priority should be given in addressing forest ecology/forest management. (Twenty references and three appendices are included: the survey instrument, respondent demographics, and findings tables.) (NLA)

Based on a program developed in Texas, this guide was developed to help correctional educators coordinate educational services in the community with adult education program providers in order to provide appropriate programs for parolees and probationers. Following an introduction that explains terms of the criminal justice system and responsibilities of the Texas criminal justice system and the Texas Education Agency, the guide is organized in three chapters. Chapter 1 describes the general characteristics of offenders and of correctional education and suggests types of programs and strategies that are more likely to be useful in dealing with offenders. Chapter 2 discusses coordination of community adult education with criminal justice agencies. It includes descriptions of the roles of various agencies and methods for referring, enrolling, and tracing students. Chapter 3 describes various correctional education delivery models being used in Texas and summarizes their strengths. A 21-item bibliography is included in this chapter. Thirteen appendixes provide the following: information on adult education and correction programs in Texas, names of contact persons, and sample forms for referral and enrollment, transcript requests, and attendance verification. (KC)

The importance of education for prosperity is beyond dispute. A nation or a state whose people are educated and industrious will prosper. Such social forces as the rise of private schooling, disenchantment with public education, and the aging of the population drain public education of its support. If educational quality has a cost, the willingness to pay for education is a measure of the commitment to quality. Mississippi is near the bottom of the nation in teacher pay and spending per student. Such statistics mean the state will find it difficult to keep its most capable citizens, to attract the best qualified to move there, and to attract industries that require well qualified workers. Mississippi's agrarianism hindered economic progress and the development of new industries while its plantation economy left a legacy of low educational attainment and high infant mortality. Iowa, a state with a somewhat similar agriculturally based economy, performs better overall in education and spends much more on teacher salaries and higher education. Meaningful growth will not occur in the absence of an educated population. States and nations that fail to invest in education do so at their own risk. (SG)

In 1987, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) initiated a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Education Project to enhance the capacity of state education agencies to assist local education agencies and schools in implementing effective HIV education within a framework of a comprehensive school health program. This publication, the result of school site visits conducted by CCSSO project staff during 1989 and 1990, reports on a number of schools' HIV prevention programs. Lessons about effective HIV education programs and what promotes learning were derived from classroom observations of promising HIV education programs. Following an introduction, the document offers recommendations intended to inform state efforts for enhancing students' healthy development and academic performance based on suggestions of administrators, faculty, and students who were interviewed during site visits. The main body of the document consists of a section titled "Common Elements of Promising Programs" and an appendix highlighting schools visited and the status of HIV and health in their districts. A list of 31 resources and 21 references are included. (LL)

This review examines African American students' access to science and mathematics education, their status and achievement in these fields, factors influencing achievement, and strategies to address the current situation. African Americans are highly underrepresented in the scientific and technical fields. This situation should be corrected because the nation will need increasing numbers of citizens in these areas, because it is in the interest of the African American community to have their community represented in these important fields, and because greater representation will address social inequity. Statistics on black students' performance in mathematics indicate that they are the poorest performers of any group. This situation may be influenced by historical, psychosocial, institutional, behavioral, cognitive, and cultural factors. Proposed solutions to the problems of minority underrepresentation in science and engineering include structural reform of the public school system; Afrocentric education; intervention programs; increased roles for black colleges and universities; black self-help and community programs; and collaborative models involving the government, business, education, and community. Seven graphs are included. (Contains 36 references.) (JB)

This statistical report describes the successes and shortcomings of education in Nevada and compares some statistics concerning education in Nevada to national norms. The report, which provides a comprehensive array of information helpful to policy makers and citizens, is divided into three sections. The first section presents statistics about K-12 education in Nevada and covers seven topics: (1) student characteristics, including enrollment, high school graduation, student assessment, student dropout rates, and teenage pregnancies; (2) professionals in education, including teachers, counselors, school psychologists, and nurses; (3) classrooms and buildings; (4) financial support; (5) curriculum, including the areas of reading, computers, physical education, special education, occupational education, and math and science; (6) rural Nevada; and (7) the National Education Goals. Statistics on health and social issues presented in Section B relate to: (1) child welfare and child abuse; (2) youth injury and mortality; (3) homeless youth; (4) infant healthcare; (5) mental health and suicide; (6) substance abuse; (7) infectious and sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS; and (8) juvenile delinquency. The final section lists Nevada's national ranking in selected areas. (Contains 50 references.) (TJQ)

This two-volume set contains a total of 67 essays on the subject of international higher education. The essays present up-to-date, statistical, and other factual information about the topic, as well as interpretations of those facts and figures. Fifty-two essays focusing on countries or regions are included. Volume 1 contains 15 chapters that deal with themes and topics, presented in a comparative framework, that address the most important topics relevant to contemporary higher education globally. Volume 1 contains articles on African and Asian countries/regions. Volume 2 begins with Australia and then offers articles on European, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and North American countries/regions. The topics discussed in volume 1 include the following: academic freedom; the academic profession; accountability; university reform; student political activism; foreign students; graduate education; the costs of higher education; women and higher education; higher education and the labor market; the history of universities; private higher education; new universities--their origins and strategic development; and university research and the development of scientific capacity in sub-saharan Africa and Asia. Volume 2 provides the index, a bibliography, and a list of contributors. (GLR)

This study investigated the preferences of parents, teachers, and students regarding the relative benefits of a cooperative teaching (general educator/special educator in a general education classroom) service model in comparison to a special education "pull-out" model. A cooperative teaching model was implemented in four public secondary schools, during the 1989-90 school year, in Anne Arundel County (Maryland). A questionnaire was administered to special education students (N=97), parents (N=26), pairs of co-teachers (N=21), and building administrators (N=3) comparing the co-teaching experience with the previous year's special education classroom placement. Results indicated that participants preferred a co-taught service delivery model over a "pull-out" model. Special education students enjoyed school more, learned more, and felt better about themselves in the co-taught general education classroom. The survey found no negative impact indicated by the co-taught special education student in terms of experiencing less time to finish school work, fear in asking questions, or additional behavior problems in the general education classroom. (Includes 18 references) (JDD)

This report presents recommendations of a national forum of education, industry, and government leaders on the integration of learning and work in postsecondary curricula. A glossary explains key terminology in the report. Introductory information stresses the importance of integrating K-12 education, postsecondary education, and industry, and the benefits for postsecondary education of applied learning curricula like cooperative education. Charts summarize recommended action steps and outcomes of the forum discussions. Six broad recommendations are made: (1) build a lifelong system of integrating learning and work; (2) disseminate data, models, and "best practices"; (3) enhance student learning through academically approved work experiences; (4) develop faculty support for the integration of learning and work; (5) foster institutional change to incorporate contextual learning strategies; and (6) build strong local partnerships to support sustainable, effective, learning systems. Also included are an outline of key elements in the cooperative education model, a list of key elements for institutionalizing work-integrated learning curricula, a list of forum participants, and a list of forum speakers, discussion leaders and facilitators. (DB)

This volume of the Department of Education's (ED) annual plan contains the program-performance plans to support efforts to reach the department's four goals. These four goals are as follows: (1) help all students reach challenging academic standards so that they are prepared for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment; (2) build a solid foundation for learning for all children; (3) ensure access to postsecondary education and lifelong learning; and (4) make ED a high-performance organization by focusing on results, service quality, and customer satisfaction. The goals represent key customer groups and education processes, starting with support for building the capacity of the elementary and secondary school system, moving to support for the conditions that must be achieved for specific K-12 target populations, and then to postsecondary-education access. It documents shared student- outcome indicators and focuses on education reform; education for disadvantaged children; school improvement and other elementary/secondary programs; bilingual education and minority foreign languages; special education; rehabilitation services and special institutions; vocational and adult education; student financial assistance; higher education; research and improvement; and civil rights. Each area features information on objectives; indicators; performance data; and source, periodicity, and next update. (RJM)

This paper reviews four major policy proposals for higher education in California. It discusses four reports that have addressed California higher education's problematic future: "Shared Responsibility" (California Higher Education Policy Center, 1998); "Breaking the Social Contract" (RAND, 1997); "A State of Learning" (California Citizens Commission on Higher Education, 1998); and "California at the Crossroads" (California Education Roundtable, 1998). All four reports focus on five strategies for the future: budgetary stability, rational student charges, productivity increases, governance changes, and improved linkages to K-12 education. Interviews with 30 California higher education policy leaders found that these reports had considerable impact on their thinking. It is concluded that the time appears ripe for a new Master Plan for California higher education, one that would replace emphasis on the distinguishing characteristics of the three public segments (the University of California, California State University, and California Community College systems) with concern for regional cooperation and organization, and include K-12 education within its scope as a full partner. A list of individuals interviewed is appended. (Contains 36 references.) (MDM)