Education & Pedagogy

Until 1960, two types of publications prevailed in the historiography of adult education--the history of individual educational organizations or establishments and biographical studies concerning leading adult education theoreticians or practitioners. The specificity of the development of adult education historiography since the 1960s is due not only to an increase of interest in the historical aspects of problems but also to a qualitative change in the actual object of study. A result is better recordkeeping and statistics, improved coordination of the endeavors of various institutions, and intensified efforts to keep count of all organizations and institutions operating in the adult education field on a nationwide scale. A series of syntheses on the history of adult education in particular countries has appeared. They are of the following types: (1) the "outline narrative" (Kelly; 1962, 1970), a survey of all printed reports on all activities of adult education from Anglo-Saxon times; (2) organized adult education in the modern state--French approach; (3) focused approach--adult education as workers education; (4) history of precedents--the Czechoslovak example; and (5) supersynthesis or eclecticism, as represented by the history edited by F. Poggeler (1975). Arguably, there is a small chance of success in theorizing the history of adult education, although precisely the history of adult education might contribute to the conceptualization of the theory of adult education. (YLB)

This guide provides basic background information about outdoor and environmental education for interested educators. Collected articles summarize current thought, trends, and practices in outdoor and environmental education. Examples of current programs are selected to demonstrate both the variety and excellence of programming in this area. These programs are found in a range of settings, as self-contained units, or as part of a larger curriculum. Articles included define the field of outdoor and environmental education and its place in the school curriculum. Outdoor or environmental education programs are relevant in a variety of curriculum areas. Programs are adaptable for atypical students including the mentally and physically impaired. The guide lists and describes successful practices in use around the United States at the school, district, and regional levels. Outdoor and environmental education programs are equally applicable to rural schools in the west and urban schools in the east. They can also be implemented in grades K-12 across an entire district, or they may involve a residential facility that serves multiple school districts. Appendices include information about programs available nationally. Also included is a small sample of colleges or universities that provide programs for teacher inservice education and staff development in environmental education as well as programs for K-12 students, and a fact sheet describing outdoor education resources and references. (DHP)

A study was conducted to assess the opinions of Ohio public school superintendents about the issues of (1) the mission of public schools regarding adult education; (2) the nature of adult education funding; and (3) the benefits accrued to the local school district as a result of adult education programs. A survey form was developed and mailed to 697 superintendents in Ohio during the 1986-87 academic year; responses were received from 606 superintendents (87 percent). Analysis of the data collected showed that (1) superintendents were ambivalent regarding the mission of public school systems in serving as providers of adult education, with the philosophical support for public school adult education that does exist often tempered by concerns for funding; (2) superintendents approached mild agreement on the role of educational entitlements in serving as providers of adult education; and (3) superintendents agree more on the issue of benefits as a result of adult education than on mission and funding. Recommendations were made for professional associations of school superintendents to promote the role of adult education and to call for free education for adults who have not completed basic and/or high school education. (KC)

This guide is intended to serve as a resource for use in developing a business education curriculum at all grade levels between K and 14. Guidelines are presented for using the guide and developing local business education standards. The next main section deals with teaching the following business skills at the elementary school level: keyboarding, basic economics, computer literacy, career and business explorations, and job attitude and human relations skills. The following section examines the teaching of the same subject areas at the middle and junior high school levels. Business education at the secondary and postsecondary levels is discussed next. The next five sections deal with teaching the following areas in secondary and postsecondary level business education programs: basic skills and core competencies (information, personal development, economic, consumer, business concepts, and technology skills); text processing; data processing; accounting and recordkeeping; and entrepreneurship. Appendixes include a list of selected resources, sentence capitalization and punctuation guidelines, lists of frequently misspelled business words, Policies Commission for Business and Economic Education (PCBEE) policy statements about various business education subject areas and business education practices, and a PCBEE position paper on information processing in business education. (MN)

The yearbook provides special education information including federal and state policy actions; important reports; statistical data on exceptional students served and personnel employed; and directory listings of key offices, officials, and organizations concerned with special education. In general, the yearbook covers reports issued from July 1986 through June 1987. The yearbook is organized into five main sections. General information includes information on federal legislation; judicial decisions; the executive summary of the ninth annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Education of the Handicapped Act, Volume 1987; funding priorities; a joint statement on the relationship between special education and general education; and special education in Canada. The next section, on early childhood special education, includes excerpts from a report on handicapped children in Head Start. Section III contains U.S. statistics on exceptional children served. The fourth section reports on annual awards. The directory section contains information on: U.S. Congress Committees related to the handicapped, Office of Special Education Programs, the Council for Exceptional Children (including staff governance, and divisions), U.S. State Directors of Special Education, U.S. Coordinators of Programs for the gifted and talented, Canadian senior government officials in special education, and organizations and agencies serving exceptional children and adults. Sixty-two tables provide statistical data. (DB)

This handbook is intended as a practical resource guide for students, parents, educators, and other interested persons working together to help students (ages 2-21) who require special education in Fairfax County, Virginia. It summarizes federal and state laws and local school policies regarding special education in several sections. An overview of the county school system outlines the special education responsibilities handled at each administrative level. "Important Elements of Special Education" reviews the range of available services and defines/describes program components and processes such as Child Find, classifications of handicapping conditions, least restrictive environment considerations, transportation, problem resolution, handling of student records, and due process procedures. The special education process is presented as a series of steps, including identification, referral, evaluation, eligibility/dismissal, individualized education plan development/placement, annual review, and triennial reevaluation. "Planning Ahead" provides recommendations and resources to use in preparing for a student's transition to future education and employment opportunities. Also included are a list of community organizations and parent support groups, sources of financial assistance, information resources, and a glossary of terms. (VW)

Developments in international education in Asia during 1985 are considered in three essays presented in the Biennial International Education Seminars conducted by the Institute of International Education. Countries covered by the essays and the authors are: China, Hong Kong, and Thailand (Jay Henderson); Macau (Josef Silny and Jay Henderson); and Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei (Norman G. Goodman). For China, topics include: opportunities and obstacles to China's international education options, development projects in China that depend on American resources and on overseas Chinese philanthropists, and recent education reforms. Topics on Hong Kong include: language policy; access to higher education; primary, secondary, and postsecondary education; and characteristics of seven postsecondary institutions. Recent education policy decisions in Thailand are described, and institutional profiles for 14 postsecondary institutions are provided. Public and private education in Macau, a small colony, are covered, along with the Junior College and the University of East Asia, which has a university college and graduate college. In addition to providing facts and figures on Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei, government actions affecting education, study abroad opportunities, and local universities are addressed. Profiles of students by field of study at all levels in U.S. colleges and universities are provided for China, Hong Kong, and Thailand. (SW)

In 1984, the American Society of Allied Health Professionals (ASAHP) conducted a mail survey of "Cooperative Program Initiatives"--seeking to identify current interdisciplinary training programs established to prepare both health and education professionals to meet the needs of youngsters with handicapping conditions and their families. A total of 350 survey forms were mailed to institutional members of ASAHP, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, University Affiliated Facilities (UAFs), and other institutions with a high probability of conducting interdisciplinary training for professionals serving youngsters with handicapping conditions. Of the 111 survey responses received, 60 institutions reported that they are currently involved in collaborative training programs; 20 of these institutions have collaborative training initiatives between health and education, while 14 have collaborative training initiatives within either health or education. Twenty-six UAFs reported having collaborative training initiatives. Information is provided on the 60 programs, including: name and location; contact person; brief description of program; and the fields of study involved--allied health, regular education, special education, medicine, nursing, or dentistry. The survey instrument is appended. (JW)

The 1983 annual report of the Western Australian Post Secondary Education Commission identifies 1983 planning activities, describes the Western Australia postsecondary system, and presents the long-term planning strategy. Eight major proposals for the Commission's activities during the 1985-1987 period are given. The proposals concern: growth in the provision of higher education; substantial growth and some diversification for Murdoch University and the Western Australian College of Advanced Education; modest growth at the University of Western Australia and the Western Australian Institute of Technology; substantial growth of technical and further education; the development of an advanced education facility at Bunbury; the development of an advanced education study centre in the northwest corridor of Perth; the provision of places and resources to promote further development of contracting and advanced education courses; and the development and refinement of measures to improve access to education. Appendices include: a list of the functions and duties of the commission, information on 1983 major committees of the commission and a list of committee members, a list of commission staff at the end of 1983, and a list of commission receipts and payments for 1983. (SW)

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act reaffirms, expands, and strengthens the Federal commitment to quality vocational programs. As stated in the Act, vocational education programs are best administered by states and their communities; the Federal Government is a junior partner with a catalytic role. The law has two major purposes--to improve the quality of vocational education programs and to make vocational education programs accessible to all people. Five titles cover assistance to the states, basic grants, special programs, national programs, and definitions. The State Board of Vocational Education is the sole state agency responsible for administration and distribution of Federal funds. The State Council on Vocational Education advises the State Board on the State Plan and reports to the governor, business community, and general public. The apprenticeship provisions of the Act offer some important linkage opportunities with the home building industry. This legislation supports an even stronger alliance among vocational education, apprenticeship, and private industry. Specific key citations in the Act that offer meaningful opportunities for the home building industry include those on institutional and worksite programs, building more effective linkages between education and private sector employers, and related instruction for apprentices. (YLB)

Adult education is now seen as an integral part of lifelong education. Adult education has become an instrument of policy that helps forward the goals of social and economic development. In many countries, adult education is being used to promote a greater sense of community and understanding across cultural and ethnic divisions. The tasks of adult education have been defined as development of vocational skills, improvement of the quality of rural life, and activation of civic responsibility. Although policymakers identify women as a target group of adult education, women are not often involved in policy decisions. Throughout the world, a great debate about the value of literacy education and its relationship to social and economic development, especially that of women, is beginning to emerge. Skepticism about policymakers' emphasis on target groups is also becoming evident. Because of the development of women's movements, women are beginning to ask for new types of training, including vocational training for nontraditional jobs and women's studies programs that revalue women's place in human history and enable women to revalue themselves. (Appendixes to this report include the definition of adult education that was adopted by the UNESCO general conference in 1976 and a diagram of a model for overcoming barriers to adult development.) (MN)

Hearings on reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965 that were held in St. Louis, Missouri, are presented. Student assistance programs are the centerpiece of the Higher Education Act and play a critical role in achieving the federal objective of equal educational opportunity. The Higher Education Act also contains programs to assist college libraries, international education, and cooperative education, as well as the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. Recommendations concern: proposals for the Guaranteed Student Loans (GSL) that would raise loan limits, eliminate the 5% origination fee, and reinstate loan consolidation provisions; funding to assist predominantly black institutions and the institutional eligibility criteria; reinstating the old Teacher Corps and Teacher Center Programs; teacher education scholarships; the aid cap of $4,000 for Pell grants; a proposal to increase GSL with provision for inflationary increases; need analysis procedures for student financial aid, and a stronger role in graduate education in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The Missouri system of student loans is described, and Title IV and particularly GSL are discussed from the perspective of the Missouri guarantee agency. (SW)

One of a series of monographs addressing issues concerning the training and use of paraprofessionals working in education programs for the disabled, this report considers the expanding utilization of paraprofessionals in special education and its related services. The first section describes the current state of the art with regard to personnel practices, the changing roles and responsibilities of paraprofessionals, training programs, certification/permit systems, and other factors affecting the employment, training, and on-the-job performance of paraprofessionals. The report's second section presents a series of recommendations for improving the effectiveness of paraprofessionals in special education and its related services. These recommendations are based on a national survey of special education directors (N=52) representing 47 state departments of education, three United States territories, the District of Columbia, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Information obtained from these administrators (number of paraprofessionals employed in special education programs, reimbursement policies, certification policies, cooperative state-college relationships, professional needs, and training networks) resulted in the formation of several conclusions, including the need for systematic inservice training, easier access to postsecondary education, differentiated staffing patterns, and increased cooperation between state and local education agencies. (CB)

The present Sri Lanka system of education and training (the school sector, the university sector, and the sector of vocational/technical education and training) has many weaknesses. In response to this situation, the Government of Sri Lanka appointed three committees to study and report on general education, technical education, and national apprenticeship training. This document contains the proposals submitted by the three committees as the result of their research and deliberations. Under the reform proposals, the new system of education will consist of three distinct segments: (1) a school system to provide general education; (2) a university system; and (3) a tertiary education system. The main objectives for these suggested changes, a description of the nature of the changes, and the requirements and policies outlined in the proposals are contained in the document. Other reform proposals included in the document cover areas of (1) education policy and organization; (2) school administration; and (3) the teaching profession. Appendices include (1) a summary of recommendations and (2) information about the three committees (their membership and their terms of reference). (IW)

This handbook for vocational administrators presents an overview of vocational education programs, services, and administrative structures in Alaska. The manual contains three parts. The first, brief section introduces secondary vocational education and lists its enabling legislation. The second part presents a detailed overview of vocational education in Alaska. Topics covered include the mission of the Department of Education in vocational education, goals, principles, financial support, the Division of Adult and Vocational Education (organizational structure), and vocational education services (such as program application, curriculum, evaluation, technical assistance, equity, disabilities, career guidance and counseling, rural students, on-the-job training, student organizations, compliance, management information system, state plan, grants management, the Alaska Career Information System, and teacher certification). The last part of the guide outlines the local vocational education administrator's role. Topics covered include responsibilities, standards, program development (including planning, advisory council, needs asssessment, personnel qualifications and development, equal opportunity, exceptional persons, curriculum, facilities, evaluation, student organizations, guidance and placement, management information system, and state aid), and requirements for meeting standards. Appendixes, which make up half of the document, contain sample forms, resources, definitions, bibliography, and regulations for vocational education programs. (KC)