Education & Pedagogy

This report describes how the education system in the United States compares with education systems in the other Group of Eight (G-8) countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom. The report draws on the most current information about education from three primary sources: the Indicators of National Education Systems (INES) project; the 2003 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA 2003); and the 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2003). Findings are organized around five major sections: (1) Population and School Enrollment (Youth Population, Enrollment in Formal Education, Foreign Students in Postsecondary Education); (2) Academic Performance (Fourth-Grade Mathematics and Science Performance, Performance in Mathematics Literacy among 15-Year-Old Students, Relationship between Reading and Mathematics Achievement); (3) Context for Learning (Mathematics Learning, Teacher Professional Development in Mathematics and Science, School Principals' Uses for Assessments); (4) Expenditure for Education (Public School Teachers' Salaries, Expenditure for Education); and (5) Education Returns: Educational Attainment and Income. An appendix presents: The Education Systems of the G-8 Countries. (Contains 38 figures and 5 tables.)

At a time when higher education attendance has never felt more mandatory for career success and economic growth, the distinguished contributors to this provocative collection ask readers to consider the civic mission of higher education as equally vital to the nation's well-being. Should higher education serve a greater public interest? In what ways should colleges and universities be asked to participate in public controversies? What should individuals expect institutions of higher education to contribute to the development of honesty and ethical judgment in the civic sphere? What should colleges do to foster greater intellectual curiosity and aesthetic appreciation in their students and communities, and why is this important for all Americans? This book begins with an introduction by Ellen Condliffe Lagemann and Harry Lewis. The following are included in this book: (1) Renewing the Civic Mission of American Higher Education (Ellen Condliffe Lagemann and Harry Lewis); (2) Science, Enlightenment, and Intellectual Tensions in Higher Education (Douglas Taylor); (3) Liberated Consumers and the Liberal Arts College (Elaine Tuttle Hansen); (4) The Other 75%: College Education Beyond the Elite (Paul Attewell and David E. Lavin); (5) Professional Education: Aligning Knowledge, Expertise, and Public Purpose (William M. Sullivan); and (6) Graduate Education: The Nerve Center of Higher Education (Catharine R. Stimpson).

To ensure reliable, accurate, and timely data, which are necessary to monitor the progress of education in the United States, Congress has mandated that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual report, "The Condition of Education." This year's report summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. The report presents 49 indicators on the status and condition of education, in addition to a closer look at high schools in the United States over the past twenty years. The indicators represent a consensus of professional judgment on the most significant national measures of the condition and progress of education for which accurate data are available. The 2012 print edition includes indicators in three main areas: (1) participation in education; (2) elementary and secondary education and outcomes; and (3) postsecondary education and outcomes. Appended are: (1) Tables; (2) Guide to sources; (3) Notes; (4) Glossary; (5) Ebibliography; and (6) Index. (Contains 100 tables, 106 figures and 2 footnotes. ) [For "The Condition of Education 2011. NCES 2011-033," see ED520001.]

The goal of this paper, "National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12," is to provide clear, consistent and straightforward guidance on the "essential minimum, core content" for sexuality education that is developmentally and age-appropriate for students in grades K-12. The development of these standards is a result of an ongoing initiative, the Future of Sex Education (FoSE). Forty individuals from the fields of health education, sexuality education, public health, public policy, philanthropy and advocacy convened for a two-day meeting in December 2008 to create a strategic plan for sexuality education policy and implementation. A key strategic priority that emerged from this work was the creation of national sexuality education standards to advance the implementation of sexuality education in US public schools. Specifically, the "National Sexuality Education Standards" were developed to address the inconsistent implementation of sexuality education nationwide and the limited time allocated to teaching the topic. Health education, which typically covers a broad range of topics including sexuality education, is given very little time in the school curriculum. A glossary is included.

The relevance of career education in meeting the needs of the disadvantaged is explored; the important components of a career education are presented; and suggestions are made for state planning. Career education is seen as the effort to help students integrate work oriented values into their lives and providing them with the experiences and opportunities they need to successfully pursue their continuing job interests. The essential components that should be included in a comprehensive career education system are: (1) design a comprehensive system of career ladder and lattices for occupational education; (2) design new systems and arrangements for interagency coordination; (3) redesign instructional programs at all educational levels to reflect career education objectives; (4) redesign counseling and guidance activities at all educational levels to reflect career education objectives; and (5) design advanced planning and evaluation systems. Before a comprehensive career education plan can be developed, several essential preplanning steps must be taken; these are (1) establish an "interactive network" between local college vocational education directors and job placement officers; (2) select occupation areas for development of career ladders and lattices; (3) establish advisory committees on local, regional, and state levels; and (4) develop and demonstrate a basic career education plan. Experience shows that six months to one year may be needed to complete statewide preplanning for career education. (DB)

Findings of a four-part project undertaken to study the historical and philosophic dimensions of adult education within the Roman Catholic Church are summarized. The four parts of the study are as follows: Part I. Background and History of Roman Catholic Adult Education (1. An Overview of Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic Adult Education; 2. Historical Perspectives and Current Profiles of American Protestant Adult Education; and 3. Historical Perspectives and Current Profiles of American Catholic Adult Education); Part II. Demonstration Projects (4. Reports of an Experiment with Internship as a Model for Training Professional Leaders of Religious Education; 5. Report of a Project Designed to Overcome Educational Apathy--Religious Education--among the Rural-Poor); Part III. Three Studies of Expanded Central Support Services (6. Report of Three Studies Investigating the Feasibility of Expanded Central Information Services--Information Exchange, Employment, Consultant Support; and Part IV. Diocesan Needs (7. Adult Education: The Diocesan View of Needed Programs; 8. Summary Report of the Study Project entitled "The Church's Expanding Role in Adult Education"). A Taxonomy of Adult Education Activities is included, under the headings of Basic Education; Community, Culture and Environment; Personal and Family; Training Teachers and Leaders; and Religious Education. (For related document, see AC 014 059.) (DB)

This report is organized into eight parts. Part I introduces and summarizes the report. Part II, "Educational disadvantage and child development," discusses the Nation's disadvantaged children, the preschool years, and children's television. Part III, "Inequality in education," focuses on racial isolation and segregation in public schools, unequal and discriminatory educational practices, and whether it is schools or family background that makes the difference in educational performance. Part IV, "School Integration," includes chapters on school desegregation and the law, integration and educational opportunity, achieving integrated schools, and metropolitan approaches to educational equality. Part V, "Education of language minorities," discusses the plight of the language-minority child, and bilingual and bicultural education. Part VI, "Making education more responsive," includes chapters on the need for reform, schools and their communities, changing roles for educators and their clients, and compensatory education. Part VII, "Education finance," focuses on the causes of financial inequality in education, equal protection and equitable finance, the financial crisis in education, and the Federal role in financing education. Part VIII, "Rural education," discusses inequality in rural education and improving rural education. Additional, individual, and minority views are also included. Appended are references to earlier EEO Committee hearings and prints. (JM)

The Conference of Ministers of Education of European Member States of Unesco on Access to Higher Education was held in Vienna from November 20 to 25, 1967. Part I of the document contains 3 working papers that were presented to the conference for discussion and subsequent recommendations. The first, "Comparative Statistical Data on Access to Higher Education in Europe" discusses the factors which influenced the development of higher education after the Second World War, the rapid increase in student enrollments, the democratization of higher education, and higher education graduates during the period 1957 - 1963. Eleven comparative tables accompany this presentation. The second, "Access to Higher Education from the Point of View of the Social, Economic and Cultural Origins of Students" analyzes student enrollments by social strata, cultural background, intellectual ability and academic achievement, financial resources, sex, educational levels, and regional differences. This paper identifies the main trends emerging in European education and suggests measures for needed educational reform. The third, "Access to Higher Education in Relation to the Present and Foreseeable Requirements of the Development of the Community" discusses the planning and organization of access to higher education, with emphasis on the relationship between higher education and socio-economic growth. Part II of the document presents a report of the conference, including 12 general considerations and 8 recommendations. (WM)

IN ASSISTING EFFORTS TOWARD QUALITY VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, THE FORD FOUNDATION HAS MADE GRANTS TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE VIEW THAT VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY AT ALL LEVELS OF SECONDARY AND POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION, AND THAT IMPROVEMENT OF VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL EDUCATORS, ACADEMIC AND GENERAL AS WELL AS VOCATIONAL. DESCRIPTIONS OF PILOT PROGRAMS AND EXPERIMENTS INCLUDE (1) NINE IN CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENT, (2) FOUR IN RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND INFORMATION, (3) FOUR IN VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL TEACHER TRAINING, AND (4) 13 IN COOPERATIVE WORK-STUDY EDUCATION. REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLES INCLUDE--(1) A PROGRAM TO DETERMINE WHICH APPROACH IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION WORKS BEST IN MOTIVATING RECENT DROPOUTS TO FINISH HIGH SCHOOL, (2) A PROGRAM TO DEVELOP TRULY COMPREHENSIVE SECONDARY SCHOOLS THAT OFFER VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL SUBJECTS AS ELECTIVES IN THE SAME WAY AS ACADEMIC SUBJECTS, (3) THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CURRICULUM CENTER TO CONCENTRATE ON CONTINUING RESEARCH DESIGNED TO IMPROVE AND UPDATE ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION, AND (4) A 4-YEAR PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PREPARE ACADEMIC AND TECHNICAL TEACHERS FOR 2-YEAR PROGRAMS AT JUNIOR COLLEGES, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, AND SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS. THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE FROM FORD FOUNDATION, OFFICE OF REPORTS, 477 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022. (PS)

Studies conducted by the University of Tulsa, Arizona State University, Utah State University, and the Indian Health Service have indicated a high incidence of handicapping conditions among the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) student population. Of the approximately 50,000 students in the nearly 200 BIA schools, some 19,000 have been estimated to need special education services. Of these, about 4,000 are currently receiving some type of special education service. Although considerable special education activity has taken place in BIA schools over the past nine years, some 95% of the special education programs in the BIA have been operated with flow-through funds from the U.S. Office of Education. Some of these programs are Project COPE, Project PISCES, Project ASSET, Project IN-SLIP, Project MESA, and Project MASTER. Each year since 1972, the Office of Indian Education Programs has sought line item funding for special education in BIA schools, but has not been able to obtain it. Neither are there BIA regulations concerning the education of the handicapped. The two outstanding present needs concerning full special education services in the BIA are: budget line item for initiating and maintaining special education programs and services in BIA operated schools, and mandatory legislation with respect to the education of exceptional Indian children. (Author/NQ)

This report describes reforms in Britain's teacher education and training program recommended by the Committee of Inquiry into Teacher Training. Two controversial recommendations were made: 1) to change the 3-year teacher education program to a 2-year program taken after successful completion of college courses, awarding a new diploma of higher education; and 2) to divorce the organization and administration of teacher education from the universities and to create 15 new regional councils. Other recommendations receiving favorable reactions include 1) the formation of three cycles in teacher education, general education, practical training, and 12 weeks of in-service training every 7 years; 2) the creation of 15 regional councils representing teachers, colleges and the state; 3) the availability in every school of a professional tutor to help trainee teachers; 4) the opening of professional centers to serve in-service teacher training; 5) to award all teachers the degree of bachelor of arts in education upon successful completion of the first two cycles of training; and 6) to offer the diploma of higher education in 1975 and the bachelor of arts in education in 1977. Appendixes cover area training organizations, sources of written and oral evidence, visits made by committee members, growth of training institutions, examples of course structure of the diploma of higher education, a possible distribution of regional councils, training institutions, and lists of recommendations. An index is included. (MJM)

The papers and discussion generated by exchange visits of American and Soviet educators are reprinted or summarized. The purpose of the visits was to exchange information and to study each country's system of higher education. Seminars held in the United States concentrated on two topics: selection and guidance of students in higher education, and the meaning of the undergraduate degree. The topics chosen for the seminars held in the Soviet Union were manpower planning for higher education purposes, and nontraditional forms of higher education. Papers presented in the United States were: Guidance, Selection, and Access to Higher Education in the United States; Methods of Direct (Short-Term) and Extended (Long-Term) Selection of Students for Enrollment in Institutions of Higher Education; American Higher Education and the Bachelor's Degree; and On the Comparability of Levels of Education in the U.S.S.R. and Foreign Countries. Papers presented in Russia were: New Forms of Higher Education in the U.S.S.R.; An Introduction to Non-Traditional Education in the United States; Methodological Issues in the Forecasting and Long-Range Planning of Training of Specialists with Higher Education; and Manpower Forecasting for Work and for Society. Summaries of discussions are also presented. (MH)

Significant 1970's federal legislation regarding American Indian education includes the Tribally Controlled Community Colleges Act; the Gifted and Talented Children's Act (Title IX Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or ESEA) which focuses in part on economically disadvantaged children; the Bilingual Education Act (Title VII ESEA); and the Indian Basic Education Act (IBEA) of 1978 (Title XI ESEA). The IBEA, the result of several years of Congressional work, mandates Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) reform in ten areas: academic standards, boarding situations, school construction, educational functions, funding, parental participation, education personnel, information management, technical assistance, and recruitment. The IBEA addresses student rights within BIA schools and Indian control of Indian educational affairs. The law also gives the Director of the Office of Indian Education Programs line authority over all education personnel. Teachers are removed from civil service and placed under local control. Possibly the greatest impact on Indian education would result not from these new laws, but from the transferral of Indian education to the newly created Department of Education. For Indian education to remain under the authority of the BIA the IBEA must be successful. (SB)

The report on arts education presents findings of a survey of state education agencies. Requested by the U.S. Office of Education, the survey was designed to provide background data for the federal government's activities in coordinating arts education policies and programs. The survey was sent to all 50 states with 100% response. Questions pertained to the 1977-78 school year. Findings show that 31 departments of education endorsed elementary and secondary arts education through policy statements; two out of three of those states reinforced their statements with dollar support; all states but one used federal funds for arts education; most frequently used federal programs were educational innovation and support, library and learning resources, education of the gifted and talented, and education of the handicapped; state priorities for new funds would be inservice training and integration of the arts into the school curriculum; there was more cooperation in planning between the state arts and the state education agencies for the Artists-in-Schools program than in implementation and evaluation; and states with an enrollment of more than one million students reported greater involvement in arts education than those with fewer. Appendices describe the process of taking the survey and show numerical results. (CK)

Goals of a workshop bringing together 31 education and rural development specialists from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, Nepal, and India were to explore problems, synthesize experiences, and consider how to improve their programs of education for rural development. After giving individual country reports, participants formulated an overall plan for managing education for rural development: (1) make a total evaluation of a community's real and felt needs through base-line studies (needs included elementary schools in all communities, adult literacy courses, health and community centers, improved economic productivity, infrastructure); and indicate resources available with present modes of problem solving; (2) aim for preschool education, elementary schools with needs-based curriculums, secondary schools that involve regular students in environmental problems and integrate dropouts through extension, university teaching, research, and extension that supports rural development, nonformal education through all formal education institutions and mass media, training teachers as agents of change, and maximizing resources; (3) plan intra-agency coordination (specific actions proposed); (4) build interagency coordination on innovations discussed; (5) identify, train, and establish support patterns for change agents. Each country made a follow-up plan for education in their rural development programs. (RS)