Education & Pedagogy

A 1992 American Bar Association task force report on the relationship between legal education and the practice of law is discussed. The report leans toward a practitioner-oriented concept of legal education, and reflects ideas of earlier reformers, principally Abraham Flexner. After a prologue on the contributions of these reformers, this article describes and critiques the report. (MSE)

The effects of 15 factors on 81 students' selection of concentration areas in special education were investigated. Six factors were consistently rated high regardless of year and concentration area: ages served, prior work and volunteer experience, curriculum content, site visits provided prior to concentration area selection, job availability, and variety of job options. (Author/JDD)

This paper reviews findings from 19 studies of alternative teacher certification programs and concludes that they have not been shown to be inferior to traditional programs. The quality of the research is examined, and the appropriateness of the secondary content area model for elementary and special education is considered from theoretical and empirical perspectives. (Author/JDD)

This paper describes Florida Uniting Students with Exceptionalities, a public school/university collaboration to implement inclusion strategies for meeting needs of students with mild disabilities in a district engaged in general education restructuring. The paper reviews the philosophical, political, policy, and logistical challenges encountered; strategies for overcoming these challenges; and research methods for collecting evaluative data. (Author/JDD)

This paper describes a collaborative project of Polk County (Florida) public schools and the University of South Florida, which prepares paraprofessionals to become special education teachers. Successful implementation of the project has required overcoming histories of mistrust, establishing an agenda that addresses mutual needs, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and developing mechanisms for accomplishing the work. (JDD)

Discusses the impact of technological change on the technical and "employability" skills required of the modern labor force. Outlines specific content and faculty upgrading areas that general education programs should address to meet workforce needs. Discusses the current crisis in vocational education and the relationship between general education and work. (PAA)

This article proposes the professional integration of early childhood special education and early childhood education. Commonalities in the areas of policy, professional practice, and the importance of flexible child-centered and family-centered services are noted. Unification would improve service delivery, increase integration, and result in better trained service providers. (DB)

Explores how school administrators can implement educational processes allowing full inclusion of students with disabilities into the general education program. Reviews literature on limitations of special education practices, arguments against, full inclusion, and rural communities' unique characteristics. Applies organizational behavior theories to consider how rural community characteristics can enable or constrain resources to benefit all students. (25 references) (MLH)

Examines multicultural and global education in relation to the growing concern for equity and social justice in the social studies curriculum. Suggests that global education studies global equity, whereas multicultural education teaches national equity. Argues that both types of programs, if well-designed and implemented, can fulfill the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child's mandate for cultural democracy. (DK)

The Australian government's reform policy treats education as a mechanism for economic development. To achieve national goals, the government is stressing skills education, private-sector involvement in skills education, increased participation in education, increased school retention rates, improvement in overall education quality, and development of a national curriculum. Western Australia prefers a unit curriculum arrangement. (24 references) (MLH)

This paper examines the pressures placed on northern Manitoba (Canada) communities to meet provincial legislative requirements for certification of special education teachers, the special needs of native northerners, and principles guiding an appropriate education program. Special emphasis is given to the need for distance education and English-as-a-Second-Language teachers. (JDD)

Study assessed preservice teachers' knowledge and attitudes about HIV/AIDS to develop preservice HIV/AIDS curricular guidelines. A questionnaire examined AIDS symptomatology, transmission, risk behaviors, consequences, prevention, classroom policy, and attitudes. Results provided guidance for developing an HIV/AIDS curriculum for preservice health education and methodology courses. (SM)

Discusses teacher knowledge of nature of science. Asserts this is aspect of science content knowledge frequently neglected in teacher education. Differentiates between positivism and postpositivism. Describes textbook's role in fostering student misconceptions of nature of science. Suggests students be given chance to carry out their own investigations. Maintains teachers should utilize case studies in history of science. (PR)

Article offers some adaptations the authors used to help integrate special education students in regular classrooms. Authors believe that productivity is achieved by having the special education teacher work directly with the classroom teacher in a two-teacher partnership situation. Provides lists of strategies to help special education students integrate into mainstream classrooms, take tests, and work in the lab. (PR)

Kozol's book, Savage Inequalities, examines inequality between urban and suburban education and encourages suburban residents to reflect on U.S. education since the 1970s and on the role of their communities in structuring the current savage inequalities. The book suggests affluent parents successfully transmit their ideology of inequality to their offspring. (SM)