Education & Pedagogy

Several international agencies related to the United Nations and the World Bank convened the World Conference on Education for All in Jomtein, Thailand, March 5 through 9, 1990. The 1,500 conference participants adopted two texts, the "World Declaration on Education for All" and the "Framework for Action To Meet Basic Learning Needs." This series presents reports on several conferences and initiatives related to the implementation of these documents and efforts at putting them into effect. This volume discusses the meetings of the International Consultative Forum on Education for All, the global mechanism established to follow up efforts based on the 1990 conference. The first meeting in Paris (France) in 1991 focused on the prospects of providing universal access to primary education, making clear the interconnectedness of quality and quantity in education. The second meeting, in New Delhi (India) in 1993, considered issues in quality education for all and reviewing the widespread dissatisfaction with the poor quality of much basic education today. The Forum has issued two reports, "Status and Trends" in 1993 and 1994 to explain progress in different countries. This volume presents these two reports and the Forum's brochure "Educating People: Improving Chances Expanding Choices." Appendixes contain the initial documents on education for all from the 1990 conference. (Contains 7 tables and 38 figures.) (SLD)

This book examines the history of education of students with disabilities and the impact of educational reform. Section 1, "The Separate Special Education System," examines the current system; the limited outcomes for students; racial, social, and gender inequities; costs of special education; parental advocacy; the disability rights movement; and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Section 2, "Inclusive Education," addresses the historical background of inclusive education; court decisions regarding inclusion; a national overview of inclusive education; program implementation; classroom supports and instructional strategies; organizational attitudes toward inclusive education; evaluation of inclusive education; and critics' concerns and advocates' responses regarding inclusive education. Section 3, "School Restructuring," discusses the need for school restructuring, the limits of current restructuring efforts in terms of their inclusion of student with disabilities, and describes restructuring efforts that include all students. Section 4, "The Reform of Education and the Remaking of American Society," relates emerging changes in U.S. society with those necessary for the inclusive education of all students. In the final section, different authors amplify key issues presented in the volume's earlier sections, including fiscal issues relating to inclusion, inclusion court cases, technology and inclusion, and including inclusion in school reform. (Each chapter contains references.) (CR)

Lifelong learning has a long tradition in India. In the last century, the government has accepted adult education as its responsibility. Since 1977, the University Grants Commission has incorporated adult and continuing education and extension into its policies, converted the Cells for Adult Education into full-fledged University Departments of Adult and Continuing Education and Extension, and formed a Review Committee for Extension to give strategies for institutionalization of extension. Extension departments have been asked to eradicate illiteracy in communities adopted by colleges and conduct continuing education on a regular basis. Current efforts focus on financial support to universities for nonformal education, redesignation of core academic staff as teachers, and staff development. Universities must work for the promotion of social change and development and play an active role in promoting adult learning. The Department of Adult and Continuing Education and Extension of the University of Mumbai exemplifies moderate success achieved in translating policy into practice. It pursues two goals: institutionalization of extension and creation of a nonformal stream of education. The Department proposes to work on the development of an institution where any individual can join for education at any level from literacy to the Open University. (Contains 17 references.) (YLB)

This paper discusses the results of an investigation that evaluated the outcomes of former students with disabilities who received special education transition services in New York State. The evaluation included a survey of 225 high school vocational rehabilitation case records and post-school interviews with 720 former special education students. The results of transition implementation were analyzed based on data from school exit information, postsecondary education participation, independent living services, and employment. The results found: (1) the number of students with disabilities enrolled in institutions of higher education increased by 45 percent from 1992 to 1996; (2) the number of students with disabilities enrolled in adult basic education and GED programs increased by 83 percent from 1990-91 through 1996-97; (3) the number of special education students participating in Tech Prep programs increased by 550 percent from 1993-94 through 1995-96; (4) 46 percent of the former special education students were working; (5) 17 percent of the students were attending postsecondary education programs; and (6) 78 percent were living at home. Results also indicate that compared to former students in general education, the youth with disabilities were working more, attending postsecondary education less, and seeking work to a greater extent. (CR)

Each year, almost one-third of adults in Denmark participates in some kind of adult education activity. Danish cultural and educational tradition is based on Folkeoplysning, a process in which personal learning in all areas of life is transformed into both life competence and usable occupational abilities. Increasingly, developments in Denmark's adult education system are being influenced by internationalization and globalization. The Danish adult education and continuing training system is undergoing a process of radical reform designed to meet the education and training needs of individuals with low levels of educational attainment and workers needing to update existing qualifications or acquire new ones. The Danish system consists of a nonqualifying/nonformal component (delivered through university extramural departments, residential and nonresidential folk high schools, production schools, and special education and literacy courses for adults) and a qualifying education component (consisting of a general adult education system, courses for adult immigrants, labor market training, adult vocational education and training, and open education modules). Denmark has several support schemes for individuals participating in education: the Danish State Education Grant and Loan Scheme; leave benefits; education and training allowances for unemployed individuals and for participation in labor market training courses; unemployment benefits; and social cash benefits. Contains a 14-item list for further reading. (MN)

This final report describes the Michigan Inclusive Education Initiative, a 5-year federally supported project designed to provide statewide training and technical assistance to schools, policy analysis and development, leadership development, and related activities to facilitate integration of students with disabilities into regular education classes. During the project, 3,722 students with disabilities, ages 3-26, were moved into regular education full-time with support at 20 implementation sites. All these students had not previously had access to regular education classrooms or curriculum. There was a 70 percent decrease in segregated program placements for students with severe disabilities statewide and a 90 percent decrease in segregated class placement for all students with disabilities, statewide. Approximately 15,000 professionals, paraprofessionals, parents, and students participated in the 175 training activities offered. Other accomplishments included development and dissemination of the "Facilitator's Guide to Inclusive Education," publication of articles on inclusive education, addition of inclusive education curricula in 12 university training programs, district level finance reform to support inclusive education, and establishment of a mechanism for on-going parent support. Individual sections of the report address the management of the Initiative and each of the eight major Initiative objectives. (DB)

This volume contains the 20 standards and indicators against which professional education units (schools, colleges, or departments of education) are evaluated to determine their accreditation status. It also contains salient National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) policies and procedures and an overview of NCATE's governance structure. Chapter 1, "Scope and Mission," covers NCATE activities and relationship with other agencies and details the scope of NCATE accreditation. Chapter 2, "NCATE Standards," describes the development of 1995 standards and the four categories of NCATE standards: design of professional education, candidates in professional education, professional education faculty, and the unit for professional education. Chapter 3, "Accreditation Procedures," covers application, preconditions, annual reports, third-party testimony, public announcement, initial review, continuing review, accreditation action, appeals, and description of a guide to accredited education units/ programs. Chapter 4, "Accreditation Policies," describes treatment of innovation and experimentation, representation to the public, fees, on-site review postponement, voluntary withdrawal, public disclosure, ethical guidelines for institutions, and complaint review. Chapter 5, "NCATE Relationship with States," describes a partnership program, participation of state authorities on in-state visiting teams, and reciprocity. Chapter 6, "Governance and Evaluation of NCATE," details governing boards, board of examines, guidelines for ethical and professional participation, confidentiality policy, and NCATE self-evaluation. Contains a glossary. (JB)

This book contains 10 papers reviewing eastern Africa's experience with "education with production" (EWP), which is a term referring to arrangements whereby a socially and economically meaningful component of production is combined with education or training. The following papers are included: "Introduction" (Wim Hoppers, Donatus Komba); "International Trends in Combining Education, Training, and Productive Work" (Wim Hoppers); "The Experience of Research through Networking" (Wim Hoppers, Donatus Komba); "Education with Production: Approaches to a State-of-the-Art" (Kenneth King); "Tanzania: Education for Self-Reliance Dimension of Education with Production" (Donatus Komba, Elisha Temu); "Education with Production in Kenya" (Daniel N. Sifuna, John O. Shiundu); "Education with Production in Zambia" (Patrick Haamujompa); "Education for Production in Ethiopia" (Birhanu Dibaba, Deneke Mokuria); "A Synthesis of Current Knowledge of EWP in the Region" (Donatus Komba); "Toward an Expanded Conceptual Framework for Education with Production" (Wim Hoppers, Donatus Komba); and "EPW Issues for Policy Development, Research, and Networking in the Eastern Africa Region" (Donatus Komba). Contains 150 references. (MN)

During fiscal year 1993, enrollment in secondary and postsecondary vocational education (VE) programs in Maryland totaled 328,792 and 82,464, respectively. Career and technology education was provided to the following: 3,975 secondary disabled individuals, 766 disabled adults and postsecondary students, 7,603 secondary disadvantaged students, 6,691 adult/postsecondary disadvantaged students, 552 secondary students with limited English proficiency, 271 adult/postsecondary students with limited English proficiency, 1,130 adolescent and 3,439 adult single parents, a total of 27,706 individuals enrolled in nontraditional and sex equity programs, and 732 criminal offenders. The following aspects of VE also received special attention: provision of professional development activities and development of a curriculum for an integrated education system, establishment of a statewide curriculum development system, provision of guidance and counseling services through Maryland's coordinated Pupil Services Program, acquisition/upgrading of educational equipment and facilities, and improvement/expansion of school-to-work transition and adult training/retraining programs/services. Major efforts were also made to improve/expand consumer and homemaking education, career/technology education delivered through community-based organizations, and tech prep. (Appended is a table summarizing career and technology education student performance.) (MN)

This newsletter includes five articles on immigrant education that focus on successful school programs and educational policy issues. In "Immigrant Education from the Administrators' Perspective" (Pam McCollum, Juanita Garcia), three principals of south Texas secondary schools with successful immigrant programs discuss their views on the adequacy of their college course work, student registration, student records, assessment and placement, appropriate counseling services, and referral for social services. "Creative Collaboratives: Empowering Immigrant Students and Families through Education" (Josie Danini Supik, Albert Cortez) describes programs in El Paso and Houston that link secondary schools and universities in efforts to improve immigrant education. Project findings point to the importance of teacher training and administrative support for the implementation of change strategies. "Immigrant Education Policy: Why Attempt To Fix What's Not Broken?" (Albert Cortez) presents facts about immigration and its impact on educational costs that counter misconceptions underlying efforts to deny public education to undocumented immigrant children. "CHIME (Clearinghouse for Immigrant Education): Service Provides Access to Information on the Education of Immigrant Students" (Aurelio M. Montemayor) describes CHIME's services and collection of resources on immigrant education. "Dispelling Myths about Immigrant Students" (Abel Carmona) examines common misconceptions about the impacts of immigrants on the U.S. economy, employment of native-born workers, welfare services, and schools, and about immigrants' education level and work skills. (SV)

The Virginia regulations for special education have been designed to comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Virginians with Disabilities Act. Part 1 presents definitions of 80 terms. Part 2 considers responsibilities and functions of the State Department of Education. Part 3 addresses the responsibilities of local education agencies (LEAs) and state agencies in five broad areas: (1) identification, evaluation, and eligibility; (2) service delivery (including free appropriate public education, Individualized Education Programs, and educational interpreting services); (3) procedural safeguards (due process, confidentiality, and complaint procedures); (4) requirements for establishing surrogate parent procedures; and (5) administration and governance. Part 4 considers funding, including: reimbursement to LEAs and state-operated programs; state funds; federal funds; funds to assist with the education of children with disabilities residing in state-operated facilities; withholding and recovery of funds; and appeal of administrative decisions. Part 5 specifies additional responsibilities of state boards, agencies, and institutions for education and training of children with disabilities in residence or custody. Part 6 briefly addresses compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. (DB)

The history of technology and industrial education in the United States provides lessons that should be heeded if current advances such as tech prep are to succeed. Practical, vocation-oriented education has been an urgent objective for U.S. education three times in the 20th century. At the turn of the century, manual training (later manual arts) was advocated, but despite the impetus of the Vocational Education Act of 1917, this trend subsided. The progressive education movement of the 1920s-1930s gave rise to industrial arts, which was not an outgrowth of but a reaction against manual training. The industrial arts movement was involved in the debate between the social-efficiency and student-centered rationales for public education. Although the post-World War II years were the strongest for industrial arts, the movement remained conservative when more liberal educational trends arose in the 1960s-1970s. Neither vocational education nor industrial arts embraced the 70s career education concept. During the back-to-basics educational reform era of the 1980s, industrial arts changed its name to technology education and attempted to establish itself as a basic. At the end of the century, practical educators once again have the opportunity to reach all public school students. The internal divisions and indecision that characterized past responses must be overcome if this present opportunity is to be seized. (Contains 63 references.) (SK)

This primer on multicultural education pedagogy reports on the knowledge base for multicultural education, and challenges and critiques teacher educators. An introduction describes the demographic and intellectual context for multicultural education, outlines the composition of the primer, and argues that the primer is primarily an exercise in "imaging" to develop an intellectual, emotional, and ethical force for teacher educators. Part 1, "Markers in the Multicultural Teacher Education Terrain," provides theoretical background by outlining issues that are integral to the multicultural terrain and crucial concepts fundamental to teacher development in a diverse and pluralistic society. It argues that teacher educators must assist students to take ethical stands that will mirror emancipatory social practices rooted in the historical experiences of both the victims and victimizers. Part 2, "A Vision for a Multicultural Education," explores four themes: pedagogical practices, multicultural education and self, synchrony of multicultural discourse in curriculum and instruction, and the passion to liberate and challenge existing paradigms. Part 3, "A Story in the Politics of a Multicultural Education Pedagogy and Deception of Political Correctness," shares student evaluations of the multicultural education course (1991-1994) and makes a case for the urgency of the reasons for multicultural education. (Contains 111 references and 2 figures.) (JB)

The structure, history, objectives, and delivery of vocational education in the Netherlands were characterized through a review of existing documents explaining/regulating the Dutch vocational system and input from representatives of government, business, and labor. Vocational education was discussed within the context of the Dutch political and administrative structure, population and labor force, economy, and educational system as a whole, and its development was traced from the integration of vocational education into secondary education in 1968. Initial training and the training of employees and employers in the Netherlands were detailed along with the legislative and financial framework of vocational education. Employment trends and the present/future position of various target groups and vocational education's present and likely future were outlined. The following were among the policy dilemmas identified: tension between substantial growth in participation in higher forms of education and the improvement of success rates; special needs of late developers and dropouts; need to determine the optimum blend of government control and independence; and conflicting demands for higher levels of vocational education and limits on public spending. (Contains 28 tables/figures. Appended are the following: a list of acronyms/abbreviations; names/addresses of 20 agencies/organizations and social partners; a 14-item bibliography; and glossary.) (MN)

This technical and vocational education (TVE) profile on Bhutan is one in a series of profiles of UNESCO member countries. It is intended to be a handy reference on TVE systems, staff development, technical cooperation, and information networking. Part I, Policy Concern, provides general information on the education delivery system, the role of primary education, the role of secondary education, technical and vocational education, technical education, and teacher training. Part II, Planning and Management of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), addresses problems and challenges; implementation of the plan; involvement of international assistance; and partnership with the Colombo Plan Staff College. Two charts illustrate the present situation with respect to the three basic levels of planning, and the present strengths and weaknesses of the planning processes prevailing in Bhutan, respectively. Strategies are proposed for the improvement of the planning process. Part III, Training Modes and Systems, describes the current state of technical education and training in Bhutan and these aspects of the technical and vocational education division: rural skills development, national inplant training scheme, limited skills training center, needs of the country to develop and improve technician education, and new development. Part IV, Women Technician in Industrial Development, discusses their participation at various levels. The bibliography contains 10 references. (YLB)