Education & Pedagogy

These hearings concern a review of the implementation of Public Law (PL) 94-502, The Veterans' Education and Employment Assistant Act of 1976 and The Veterans Education and Training Program. Testimonies of representatives of the Veterans Administration, veterans' organizations, and education associations are presented regarding resolution of the problem of overpayments of educational benefits to veterans. Testimonies of Congressmen with bills pending before the subcommittee to amend PL 94-502 to provide increases in veterans' education and training rates are also presented. Comments of Veterans Administration officials regarding the amendments are included. Written statements and articles submitted to the committee are also included. Presentations are printed in chronological order but are also alphabetized in the contents by name and/or organization/institution. (BL)

This minimodule is the first of a series of three separate, but unified by process, minimodules, all of which are part of a larger set of twelve individualized performance-based modules, each based on a major competency needed by vocational administrators for effectively administering vocational education in local education agencies. The module focuses on identifying and in some cases completing the major components and procedures of curriculum development which vocational administrators need while attempting to plan curriculum development. The activities are primarily based on having the learner read a list of suggested materials related to the subject. An introductory section, terminal objective, summary of content, procedures, suggested resources, pretest, posttest, learning activities which are presented in a series of tasks, and activity sheets are included. (SH)

The project was designed to develop and test instructional packages from a selected list of 149 competencies (identified in a separate study done by North Carolina State University) needed by vocational administrators for effectively administering vocational education in local education agencies. The packages were designed for use in West Virginia, but with a high level of transportability. Project activities included developing alternative techniques and instruments for assessing competency levels of individual vocational administrators, then constructing and evaluating performance based units and modules for each competency. The project resulted in twelve instructional units based on each of twelve competencies selected from a total of thirty major competency areas comprised of the original list of 149 essential competencies. (This report of the project includes the list of 149 essential competencies and the resulting thirty major competency areas and their respective subskill areas.) (SH)

This report describes Thailand's National Education Scheme which was designed to stabilize conditions resulting from frequent changes in the government during the years 1974-76. The general objectives of the scheme are: (1) to promote the appreciation of a constitutional democracy using the nation; (2) to enhance an awareness of being Thai through establishing pride in the Thai culture; and (3) to encourage the exercise of rights and freedom within legal limits. Functions of educational administration at the national, provincial, and municipal levels are described. The structure, organization, and curricula of the present 6-3-3 system are outlined. New policies include seven years' compulsory education, aid to needy students, expansion of school facilities, vocational and agricultural training, out-of-school training, and improved teacher training. Descriptions of new legislation and financial procedures are included. (KC)

Presented are course materials from a competency based education program in special education administration. It is explained that the Special Education Administration Training Program (SEATP) is designed for continuing education of administrators. Materials are divided into three self contained curriculum areas: fiscal management, personnel management, and program development. Each area is further broken down into color-coded objectives which provide the following types of information: preface, table of contents, presentation of concepts, suggestions for implementing concepts, reading resource materials, and reference list. Among the topics addressed are sources of revenue, budgeting expenditures, managing funds, and recordkeeping and reporting (fiscal management); staff relations and administration, recruitment and selection, human resource planning, staff development, and evaluation of staff and administration (personnel management); and organizing for planning and administration, assessment of program needs, program design, and evaluation of program data (program development). (CL)

Key speeches presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) in Chicago, Illinois, March 1978 are reprinted in this yearbook. The basic theme of the conference was a critical examination of the significant features of a growing knowledge base underlying education personnel preparation. Four speeches are reproduced on the following topics: (1) the education of the educating professions, educational history and an overview of the future; (2) the future of the AACTE and its role on the national scene; (3) AACTE and the realities of teacher education; and (4) educational research, its goals and impact. Included in this publication are reports on current activities of groups set up to provide intensive followup of major program segments ("Strands"); articles of incorporation and bylaws; and a listing of the AACTE Distinguished Achievement Awards. (JD)

A consortium for the purpose of collaboratively designing and facilitating the implementation of inservice education for teachers of young children and their supporting staff was instituted in the Florida Panhandle. Participating in this group collaboration were three teacher centers, three universities, two individual school districts, and the Florida Department of Education. Impetus for the development of the consortium was provided by four major objectives: (1) recognized need to comprehensively address inservice education; (2) commitment to the principle that collaboration provides the most promising avenue for improvement of teacher education; (3) concern for implementation of inservice education for teachers of young children; and (4) concurrence with the position of the Florida Board of Regents requiring that universities allocate increased resources to inservice education. This document provides a description of the development of the program, stated goals, personnel, budgeting, and an evaluation of results. (JD)

In presenting the Model Recognition Proposal for the Michigan Interorganization Committee for Continuing Library Education (MICCLE), the first part of this document describes the history and development of Continuing Education Units (CEU's), provides a brief analysis of Michigan's specific needs and programs for librarians and the types of recognition (certification) currently available to them, and makes recommendations for awarding and recording CEU programs. Attached is a memorandum from the state's superintendent of public instruction urging approval of the proposal. The second part contains the application form for programs requesting CEU's and outlines the procedures for filing it. Also included are the citations for three publications about the CEU and a description of the MICCLE Screening Committee--its membership, reviewing procedures, and approval process. (JD)

The purpose of this volume is to present information on the training of adult educators in East European countries. All but two of these countries, Albania and Bulgaria, are described. The first of nine articles provides an overview of the research and preparation of adult education staff in some East European countries. Factors cited as influencing the system development in these countries are tradition, social situation, growth and application of science, acceptance of the continuous education idea, and the development of theory and greater professionalism in the adult education field. Following the initial report, there are articles dealing with Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and Yugoslavia. The article on the Soviet Union deals only with the political education aspects. All contributions were originally published elsewhere. (CSS)

This bibliographic guide to the literature on equal education throughout the world contains over 40,000 references. It is arranged in 22 subject categories: the education of minorities in the United States (in general and by minority group); schooling issues (staffing and organization and multicultural education); economic, social, political and legal factors; studies of equal education throughout the world (arranged by country and area). Most works cited are in English, but publications in French, German, Spanish, and Italian are also listed. There are annotations to some works whose titles are not descriptive, a listing of other bibliographies by subject category, and an author index. (EF)

An examination of school finance reform and special education finance issues is presented in this paper. It describes a general model of the educational finance system, in which state and federal general and categorical aid combines with district fiscal capacity to determine educational expenditures, which in turn affect educational programs and, in consequence, educational outcomes. School finance reform activities are then reviewed and the general model is used to highlight the aspects of the system at which reform efforts are being targeted and to make explicit the critical assumptions of the reform proposals. Finally, the special education finance subsystem is cast in terms of the educational finance model and the relationship of special education finance to general school finance is investigated. Particular attention is paid to the effects of recent changes in special education laws and to those areas in which additional study is needed. (Author/JEH)

Selected teacher resource projects for ethnic studies are identified and reviewed in this document. Developed at 16 educational institutions across the United States, the projects range in focus from general multiethnic education to specific minority groups including Japanese-, Afro-, French-, Polish-, Italian-, Mexican-, and Ozark-Americans, and Yakima Indians. Some focus on ethnic populations within a particular area, such as Chicago. Each project is identified in terms of location and address, project director, program subject, grade level, and subject areas into which materials can be incorporated. Grade levels range from kindergarten through college; most materials were designed for use in elementary and secondary classes. The reviews identify types of materials produced by each project (i.e., teacher's manuals, bibliographies, teaching units, audiovisual or print materials) and describe content and possible applications. (AV)

Prepared as a basis for environmental education curriculum development, this manual establishes guidelines for curriculum decision-making in any school, community, region or nation. In addition, the current status of environmental education is analyzed, and the character of contemporary curricula and materials development efforts is summarized. Emphasized is the need to establish programs which reach toward involving citizens in addressing environmental problems. A flow chart of the curriculum-implementation-evaluation process serves as a reference for applying the procedures and guidelines presented. These include curriculum patterns, decision-making criteria, multidisciplinary instructional models, and guidelines for teacher preparation. Appended are: (1) model activities based on the described infusion process and curriculum development goals; and (2) a bibliography of materials, programs and issues related to the positions outlined. (Author/WB)

Policy issues concerned with the provision of continuing education programs to adult handicapped persons are examined. The current availability of only a few continuing education programs is noted, and a definition of continuing education is offered. Specific policy considerations are listed for the three areas of commonality in programing: accessibility, specially designed instruction, and cooperative community planning. Five guiding principles for policy development include: the factor that most differentiates continuing education from elementary and secondary education is the power of the individual to have decision making authority; it is important that handicapped individuals have available to them the wide range of programmatic options that are available to nonhandicapped individuals; and an administrative unit should be created at all levels to advocate and guide the development of a comprehensive program. A model of continuing education charting curricular areas against service progression is offered. (DB)

Crucial issues in teacher education facing black colleges were addressed in a conference on the preparation for, entry into, and retention or persistence in the teaching profession by blacks. Four specific topics were explored in this paper: (1) the administration of teacher education, where control rests, how standards are set, and strategies that can be effective in solving problems; (2) the funding of teacher education programs, the difficulties faced by historically black colleges, and suggestions for the promotion of funding support; (3) strategies for dealing with the problem of recruiting and retaining talented educators for black colleges of education; and (4) faculty development, new ideas and issues for making major alterations in the educational experiences offered in higher education. (JD)