Education & Pedagogy

This paper concludes that population and education are likely to play central roles in public policy in South Africa as it emerges from years of apartheid. The study examines some of the mechanisms that underlie the negative association between fertility and education. Using household survey data collected as part of the Project for Statistics on Living Standards and Development, the report challenges some common beliefs about women's education and economic development. Education is not randomly assigned within a population but reflects self-selection in educational attainment. Education and household resources tend to be correlated; a woman's education may be a proxy for her, or her family's, income, but in South Africa, female education continues to have a powerful negative association with fertility. This report states the impact of comprehension skills is particularly large in magnitude suggesting that the acquisition and assimilation of information may be affecting family decision-making. (Contains 13 references, 1 figure and 3 tables.) (EH)

This guide, in both English and Chinese, is intended for parents and guardians of children participating in bilingual or monolingual English-medium general education or bilingual special education programs in the New York City public schools. It provides general information about mainstreaming, the integration of special education students into general education classes and/or school-wide activities, and how students benefit from this process. Mainstreaming is based on the concept that children should be educated in the least restrictive environment to meet their needs best. This guide describes how academic and non-academic mainstreaming work, the objectives of the approach, benefits for both general education and special education students, the role of general education in mainstreaming through both academic and non-academic activities, how the program is planned, implemented, and monitored by the mainstreaming committee, and the role of the parent or guardian in the student's learning process. A number of commonly-asked questions are also answered. (MSE)

This guide, in both English and Russian, is intended for parents and guardians of children participating in bilingual or monolingual English-medium general education or bilingual special education programs in the New York City public schools. It provides general information about mainstreaming, the integration of special education students into general education classes and/or school-wide activities, and how students benefit from this process. Mainstreaming is based on the concept that children should be educated in the least restrictive environment to meet their needs best. This guide describes how academic and non-academic mainstreaming work, the objectives of the approach, benefits for both general education and special education students, the role of general education in mainstreaming through both academic and non-academic activities, how the program is planned, implemented, and monitored by the mainstreaming committee, and the role of the parent or guardian in the student's learning process. A number of commonly-asked questions are also answered. (MSE)

This study examined distance education at Tennessee Board of Regents institutions of higher education. Both four-year and two-year institutions were surveyed via electronic mail. Thirty-five percent of the surveys were returned. The results indicated that all responding institutions were involved in distance education, specifically to reach potential students who had limited access to their campuses. The top five concerns of the institutions in regard to distance education were providing course materials for students, training faculty, ease of system operation, range of services, and cost effectiveness. The most frequently available mediums for offering classes were teleconferencing, cable television, and compressed video. While 80 percent of the universities surveyed had distance education policies, only 40 percent of those policies included provisions for on-line courses. The major issues cited regarding the future of distance education included the need for adequate funding and continued faculty support. (MDM)

This document describes the vocational education and training system in Portugal, beginning in chapter 1 with the administrative, demographic, and economic background in which the training system exists. Chapter 2 provides a brief historical review of the development of the training systems; arrangements for initial training; and arrangements for continuing training, teacher training, and adult training. Chapter 3 indicates where responsibilities for administering the system are located, including the influence of the social partners, and presents information on the financing system. Chapter 4 provides an indication of present trends and developments, including how far the system has been, or would be, influenced by European Community considerations, such as the following: creation of the single European market, mutual recognition of qualifications, the intervention of the Structural Funds, and the Community's education and training programs. Appendixes contain 23 references and the following: list of acronyms and abbreviated titles; major organizations involved in providing or regulating vocational training; and glossary. (YLB)

The history, scope, content, and strategies for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction in Australia, particularly in adult education, are summarized. The history of ESL instruction is traced from post-war immigration policies, through early provision for migrant education and introduction within postsecondary institutions and adult education programs. Currently, ESL programs are offered through the national Adult Migrant Education Program, postsecondary institutions, adult and community education programs, school districts, and higher education and private institutions. Program types include settlement, labor force development, community-based, vocational and workplace, and pre-college and college support programs. Curriculum development has evolved from a teacher-centered approach through local curriculum design, the communicative approach, emergence of decentralized curriculum support units, emphasis on vocational training, and competency-based instruction. A trend toward nationally standardized courses is noted. Contains eight references. (MSE) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education)

This packet describes the Building Bridges Program at Illinois State University, which integrates the secondary preservice teacher education curriculum across English, history/social science, technology and business education. The goal of the program is to prepare preservice secondary teachers with experiences that promote their understanding of how to initiate, develop and deliver integrated instruction to teachers from divergent disciplines.The program allows secondary education students the opportunity to examine closely the tenets of curriculum integration and then learn through practice. Since 1992, 450 future teachers have been exposed to integrated curriculum development through this program. The packet contains a description of the program and a schedule of student presentations of integrated units from October 9, 1996 and October 12, 1995. Each session presentation includes a unit description with curricular links, rationale, and objectives for the unit. (EH)

This publication outlines the issues in the areas of education and employment that the General Accounting Office plans to investigate and the focus of the planned work for Fiscal Years 1997-99. The principal issues to be investigated are the following: (1) using federal resources to support and encourage state and local efforts to provide education programs that will enable all youths to obtain skilled jobs and become informed citizens; (2) ensuring that eligible students have access to quality higher education while encouraging cost-containment for education programs and protection of federal education funds from fraud and abuse; (3) helping persons to acquire the skills needed to become productively employed and helping employers locate qualified job candidates; and (4) improving protection for workers while reducing the burden for employers in complying with workplace regulations. Descriptions of planned work and objectives for the work on each of these issues are listed in table format. (KC)

All children are entitled to a solid education in the United States. There is a good reason for this: For generations, education has been the most reliable path to a better life. A good education offers a better quality of life, including access to good jobs and careers. Getting a good education is even more important today than in the past as more and more opportunities require strong reading and math skills. Ensuring that every child gets a solid education will go a long way toward fulfilling America's promise of equal opportunity for all. To make sure African-American children get the education they need and deserve, parents must get more involved. In this guide, the writers offer a number of suggestions to help parents better advocate for the education of their children. They also offer information that can be turned into powerful tools for parents to exercise their rights as an involved African-American parent. A glossary is included. (Contains 10 footnotes.)

The participants in a special education doctoral seminar for Urban SEALS (Special Education Academic Leaders) interacted with 4 national experts in urban education to identify and resolve several issues. The participants examined issues in four general areas: factors that impact students with disabilities in urban settings; factors related to socio-political arenas (including national and state mandates); factors related to personnel preparation; and factors related to school administration. The participants organized themselves into four study groups that focused on summarizing and critiquing the body of knowledge generated by one of four national experts: Vivian Correa, Robin Smith, Cheryl Utley, and Janette Klingner. Once they had summarized and critiqued that literature, they formulated questions to pose to the experts via email correspondence. The report represents what they discovered.

The paper is an attempt to understand and analyse the status of universal primary education among tribals in Jharkhand and its challenges. Considering the low literacy among tribals and high drop out rates at elementary and higher levels, there is need of special focus on tribal's education, inclusive of context-specific traditional and innovative interventions. The paper suggests that to make a substantial inroad towards attaining the goal of universal primary education, it is imperative that all interventions should have community participation as a core strategy. In order to ensure universal education and sustainable improvement in the quality of education it is necessary to bring the community closer to the school system. The paper shows that education of tribals has not received whole hearted support of the state and focused effort in this area is still awaited. (Contains 4 tables, 1 figure, and 14 footnotes.)

This annual report reviews challenges and benefits of family literacy programs and presents a summary of outcomes for 2004-2005. Family literacy comprises four components that build on each other to improve parents' and children's achievements: (1) Adult education, including adult basic and secondary education and ELL; (2) Parent education; (3) Early childhood education; and (4) Parent and child interactive language and literacy activities. In 2004-2005, the Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education administered a $13 million family literacy program, including nearly $7.5 million in federal Even Start funds and more than $5.5 million in state funds. These funds supported 58 programs in all 67 counties of the state. Services were provided to 193 of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts and two charter schools. In 2004-2005, Pennsylvania enrolled 2,912 families, consisting of 3,000 adults and 3,989 children. (Contains 3 figures and 1 table.)

RAND Europe has performed a study for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. This study aims to increase the understanding regarding the influence of societal developments and policy initiatives on the attractiveness and uptake of science and technology (S&T) in higher education. This study consists of an international comparison across six European countries, examining how students make decisions about entering a certain study and assessing whether and how policies are addressing these factors. The report concludes with a set of recommendations to improve the low uptake of S&T in the Netherlands. (Contains 1 footnote, 1 figure and 1 table.) [Prepared for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. For associated report, see ED502766.]

This guide provides business leaders with a starting point for establishing a dialogue on higher education reform. Business leaders have a vested interest in ensuring that our institutions of higher education remain accessible, accountable, and affordable, because higher education provides the skilled workforce that businesses increasingly need. The guide recommends that federal and state public officials place more value on higher education, that colleges and university leaders employ more effective and efficient management systems and structure, and that corporations provide more financial support for programs and scholarships for undergraduate and graduate study, including financial assistance to low-income, disadvantaged, and minority students. Appended are preparation, participation, completion, affordability, and benefit indicators used in "Measuring Up 2004" to gauge the status and progress of higher education in the nation and the states. (Contains 10 figures and 103 endnotes.)

This brief identifies advantages and challenges to using video-based distance education for adult English language learners (ELLs), describing implementation alternatives and suggesting practical implementation strategies. Advantages include multiple mentoring opportunities and the ability to reach more learners. Challenges include identifying learners who can succeed at a distance, training teachers, funding, and assessment and accountability. Implementing video-based distance education involves accessing videos and providing instructional support. Suggestions for implementation include using forms (goal setting forms, study plan forms, and learner logs) and building community among learners to prevent learner isolation. Evaluation studies provide evidence that video-based distance education programs are popular with students and attract many who may be unwilling or unable to attend traditional classes. Teachers report that students in video-based distance education programs make education gains. However, more rigorous research with control groups and standardized pre- and post-testing procedures are recommended. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education.) (Contains 21 references.) (SM)