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This paper responds to the questions: "How do we shape classroom life to reflect a spirit of social justice and equality, of tolerance and respect?" It presents a philosophy and a set of practices by which preschool classrooms may become communities that work for everyone. The paper begins with an observation of a preschool classroom and notes that the process of developing a classroom of individualistic children into a community whose members regard each other with growing respect, trust, and interest depends on the teacher or leader. The paper maintains that teachers build a community on four components of leadership: (1) acceptance of the leadership role; (2) knowledge of child development; (3) knowledge of early childhood education; and (4) a commitment to teaching by modeling. Each of these leadership components is examined in turn, focusing on the responsibility of the preschool teacher or administrator and providing suggestions for ways each component of leadership can be implemented in the early childhood classroom to teach values of compassion and responsibility. The paper notes that for some children, safety and order take priority over sowing seeds of compassion and responsibility and makes suggestions for teaching children with behavior problems. The paper concludes that although leadership demands a great deal from good teachers, administrators, and other staff, the efforts to achieve excellence in teaching are worthwhile. (KB)

This paper describes the work of the Even Start Family Literacy Study Group, which met over the course of the 1998-99 school year. Based on the personal experiences of the group's facilitator, the paper presents thoughts about family literacy and the relationship between families, literacy, and programs. In an effort to support family literacy program development, this paper focuses on the learning that occurs between parents and children in the home, the particular role the adult experience plays in a child's development, and the ways in which programs can develop and support that learning. (Author/VWL)

Arguing that common explanations for low wages for early education and care work are inadequate and misleading, this essay seeks to clarify for early education and care advocates the reasoning and the fallacies underlying these explanations. The essay maintains that economists' argument concerning "human capital" erroneously assumes that early education and care is low-skill work. The essay further argues that economists' notion of "compensating wage differentials" may explain why an individual might take a low-paying job, but cannot explain why the wage for a whole occupation is low. The essay asserts that if economists'"crowding" explanation were correct, one should see too many people wanting to work in early education and care. Further, the idea that low wages protect children by warding off money-motivated workers is based on untenable assumptions about motivations, responsibilities, and opportunity costs. The essay argues that the notion that wages must be low for early education and care to remain affordable for parents depends on excessively individualistic reasoning. It is noted that campaigns for higher wages for early education and care workers can point out that most counter arguments come from distorted understanding of the nature of work and care, and can seek to correct these by appropriately valuing care, children, and early education and care skills. (KB)

Improving compensation in early care and education (ECE) has been and will continue to be an extremely difficult policy issue. The Mailman Family Foundation and the Foundation for Child Development convened a group of 18 representatives of diverse disciplines concerned about child- and elder-care compensation. This report details the issues examined in this meeting, presents the broad approaches to improving compensation, and identifies recommended strategies for increasing awareness about low child-care wages. The report indicates that the greatest challenge to addressing low compensation is developing proposals that are realistic, can be implemented, and have a reasonable chance of success. Two broad approaches are presented: (1) raising wages directly; and (2) launching campaigns to affect wages by more indirect means, such as raising wages and benefits for all low income workers, and unionizing/organizing the early childhood workforce. More specific recommendations are highlighted as a guide to action, including: (1) studying ongoing state efforts; (2) anticipating the need for both state and federal strategies; (3) investigating the feasibility of expanding state spending for prekindergarten; (4) defining the population of dependent caregivers; (5) developing and disseminating outcome measures associated with high-quality care; (6) encouraging and implementing community-level demonstration projects; and (7) understanding why there is market failure in dependent care. The report concludes by asserting that improving compensation for ECE caregivers will require interdisciplinary approaches that bring together experts from diverse backgrounds. A list of meeting participants is appended. (KB)

The National Center on Education and Employment has taken on the task of challenging and rethinking the premises that underlie traditions of human capital development in this country. This task is summarized in the question, "Who should teach which work-related skills to whom, when, and how?" Its first priority is that the Center's primary audience is educational policymakers. Second, the Center concentrates on two of the most powerful human capital pressures on the economy--the need for worker adaptability or flexibility and the quality of the labor supply. Third, its primary objective is to spearhead a major restructuring of K-12 education. Fourth, in rethinking K-12 education, the Center challenges distinctions between work-related and general learning. Fifth, the Center questions distinctions made between at-risk and not-at-risk learners. Finally, the Center challenges the assumption that the nation's educational and training delivery systems--for example, schools, the military, the corporate training system, and public training programs--differ substantially in their pedagogic strategies. (YLB)

This exploration of community college financing applies selected constructs and theories from the field of economics to the question of public financing of two-year vocational/technical and general education programs. First, the criteria of efficiency and equity are explained in terms of their use by economists in judging the appropriateness of public policy. Next, two analytical constructs used by economists in recommending educational policy are discussed: (1) the principle of externalities, which helps determine the benefits absorbed by other members of a society as a result of educating a single individual; and (2) the theory of human capital, which refers to the value of the income/earning potential embodied in individuals. Next, economic justifications are provided for the public funding of community colleges, including efficiency factors; economic development considerations; educational equity and its impact on social mobility and income levels; and educational outcomes as returns on students' economic investment in their schooling. Finally, the paper concludes that economics will influence many of the policies affecting community colleges in the future. (EJV)

A program in civic education is or should be at the heart of general education in community colleges. Citizenship education is congruent with the mission of the community college in that it is a practical enterprise leading to self-governance; it is integrative, using a variety of cognitive skills, attitudes and knowledge; it is community relevant; and it enhances career development. By adopting a conception of general education that inclines toward the notion of education for democratic participation, community colleges can contribute to the process of political socialization and better fulfill their obligation to the community which is their source of support. Advantages of civic education for community college students include the possibilities of reducing political power differentials; addressing social issues of importance to a "late bloomer" student population; and developing a sense of community among students. Objections to mandated programs in civic education focus on the curriculum constraints imposed on the community college. Issues of freedom versus constraint, individualism versus social obligation, and vocationalism versus liberal learning need to be resolved before such a prescriptive model of general education can be adopted. Civic education programs in community colleges contribute to the quality of community life and further the commitment to democratic values and practices which is the aim of the community college. (LAL)

Despite similar cultural roots and standards of living, the secondary education systems of France, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, and the United States produce remarkably different levels of achievement in mathematics and science. An examination of achievement at a given age shows that the French and Dutch have learned the most, Americans the least, and British somewhere in between. Section 2 examines the proximate causes of achievement differentials among the French, Dutch, British, and American secondary students. It concludes that the achievement differences are caused by differences in the quality of teacher inputs and the quality and quantity of student time-and-effort inputs. Section 3 argues that changes in the structure of rewards are as important as changes in the level of rewards. A conclusion is that students, parents, teachers, and administrators in France and the Netherlands have much stronger incentives for academic excellence than do their counterparts in the United States. The French and the Dutch models of secondary education combine in one system many of the most drastic reforms that have been proposed for the United States: (1) externally set, subject-specific achievement exams taken by almost all high school students; (2) parental choice of uppersecondary school and special field of study with money following students; (3) 30 percent higher teacher salaries and rigorous standards for entry into secondary school teaching; (4) high standards for admission to postsecondary education; and (5) mastery learning with strictly enforced sanctions in cases of failure. Four exhibits and 6 tables are included. The appendix describes the structure of the French secondary system. (Contains 70 references.) (LMI)

This paper discusses five main patterns of authoritarian government rule that are currently prominent in international society. The first pattern is "Brazilianization" which has evolved as a model for rightist, capitalist elites in the more industrialized countries of the Third World (e.g. Iran, Indonesia, and Argentina). A common feature of these countries is to seek integration into the world trade and money markets including a receptivity to multinational corporations. The paper then turns to a discussion of "Leninization" which is manifest in every Third World socialist society whether it looks to Moscow, Peking, or itself for primary guidance. A third kind of authoritarian tendency examined is "Praetorianization" which occurs in conditions of relatively little industrial development. Such governance patterns can be linked with either capitalist or socialist states but are characterized more by the praetorian exercise of state power than by the ideological orientation of the regime. Following this is a brief appraisal of an authoritarian tendency in the social North known as "Stalinization." Here, the central phenomenon is the persistance of Stalinist modes of rule in the Soviet Union and its East European allies. A short discussion then follows about the fifth pattern "Trilateralization" and the loss of confidence in the capacity of democratic governance to do the job in the developed countries of North America. The paper concludes with a discussion of the linkage of these five authoritarian tendencies to world order prospects. (Author/RM)

This document contains two articles by Johan Galtung presented as papers at an international conference on the relationship of technology to the environment and human needs. The monograph is part of a series intended to stimulate research, education, dialogue, and political action toward a just world order. The first paper, "Towards a New International Technological Order," focuses on the negative consequences of western technology for the culture and social structure of developing nations. A major problem is that western technology carries with it a code of economic, social, cultural, and cognitive structures which are often not easily integrated into non-western nations. The second paper, "The New International Economic Order and the Basic Needs Approach," explores the political conflicts and compatibilities between the theory of the New International Economic Order (based on improving trade between developing and developed nations) and the Basic Needs approach (based on the fulfillment of basic needs at the individual level). The article concludes with the recommendation that people responsible for foreign policy in developing and developed nations and in international organizations should seek to combine elements of the two theories so that true human and social development take precedence over political objectives. (DB)

How the theme of human movement--migration, and particularly immigration--can be integrated into junior high U.S. history and world history/geography courses is discussed. To avoid turning the study of migration into an unwitting process of reinforcing ethnocentrism, two steps need to be taken. First, the movement of people throughout the world should be viewed multidirectionally, not unidirectionally. Second, events should be viewed in multiple perspective from the standpoints of the various participants. For example, U.S. history courses, instead of focusing only on the east-to-west flow of civilization from Europe, should also examine the northwesterly flow of civilization from Africa to America and the northerly flow of Hispanic and Mexican civilization into the U.S. Southwest. Instead of merely examining the development of European civilization and European expansion into other world areas, a world history/geography course might begin with the examination of the independent development of civilizations in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas, and then examine these processes globally. The paper concludes with a description of a course which utilizes film study to teach about global migration. (RM)

This report presents the rationale for the expanded women's programs sponsored by the Ford Foundation and describes their current and projected activities. Both men and women should have opportunities to choose roles and lifestyles unconstrained by sex discrimination. The gross under-representation of women cited in figures throughout this report is prima facie evidence of sex discrimination and implies lack of choice. The paper is presented in two parts. Part one describes problems women encounter in their economic activities throughout the world. As compared with men, women are underpaid, are denied credit, and experience higher unemployment. They are particularly constrained in the economic sphere by their domestic and mothering responsibilities. Girls and women are denied equality with boys and men in education and training to prepare them for their multiple roles. Cultural forces also pose many obstacles to women's full participation in their families, society, and the economy. Part two describes the general position of the Foundation in work on sex discrimination, outlines the work of each division on these problems, and suggests future program directions. There are three major program divisions of the Foundation. The National Affairs' women's program has as its major focus the improvements in the economic security of women, particularly low-income and disadvantaged women. The programs of the Education and Public Policy Division are aimed at the elimination of discrimination based on sex in all phases of education. The International Division women's program objectives have been to help overcome inequity and, in the process, to help ensure that women can both contribute to achieving a variety of development goals and also share more fully in the resulting benefits. (Author/RM)

A review of arguments for and against including business ethics courses in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) curriculum reveals strongly opposing views. Those favoring business ethics courses argue that such courses teach a way to approach and think through a problem and provide a framework for judging behavior, that the university must respond to the needs of business, and that such courses are offered by a majority of schools. Those opposing ethics courses contend that such courses are unnecessary because businesses should not be required to be socially responsible, there is little agreement about course content, corporate responsibility is too vague and idealistic a concept to be taught, graduate students already have firm ideas of right and wrong, students do not consider them necessary, the courses compete with essential classes, faculties lack expertise, some firms will not provide tuition reimbursement, and teachers would be teaching at a trade school level. In the analysis following this summary, it is concluded that few of the arguments against teaching ethics are valid, but none of the arguments for the subject are strong enough to warrant requiring such courses. Teaching about ethics should be concerned with ways of thinking through value judgments, not with value judgments themselves. (IS)

Traditions that have affected the evolution of U.S. higher education, along with a challenge for the future, are considered by the president of the University of Michigan. Attention is directed to ideas that over time have produced the original colonial colleges, followed by the land-grant universities, the great polytechnic schools, the contemporary liberal arts colleges, and particularly, the modern research university. Seven distinctive characteristics of the American system are identified, including: U.S. college are responsible to some external community, public or private; and colleges cover a wide spectrum of society's needs for trained personnel and the underlying knowledge base. It is argued that higher education has special capabilities and responsibilities in a world of rapid change. While the modern university is not an instrument for solving society's problems, it provides the tools, language, and alternative visions to explore new solutions. Passages from the Old Testament of the Bible are cited for ideas and values that have informed the development of the modern university. (SW)

A working knowledge of futurist perspective is becoming essential to educators. While global education acquaints students with their responsibilities as members of a group extending beyond their personal and local boundaries, futurism awakens students to the interconnectedness of past, present, and future. Although debate exists over whether it is an art or science, futurism is defined by Toffler and others as a methodology that clarifies and communicates future possibilities to decision makers. A course entitled "History of the Future" taught at the secondary school and college level illustrates how this perspective can prepare students to make choices among perceived alternatives that may be considered when examining historical, contemporary, and future issues. The course begins with an introduction to the concepts of change, progress, and the future through a study of nuclear weapons capabilities. This is followed by an examination of 25 American historical myths, a consideration of historical fallacy, and an exercise in creating models of historical development. In the next phase of the course, a study of futures planning and problem solving techniques culminates in an exercise in which students play a future president faced with approving a Congressional bill which legalizes the manufacture and sale of renucleated ova. The course concludes with a survey of emerging societal trends. (LP)

Humanists at community colleges, faced with vocationalism and other negative forces, have begun to rid themselves of elitist, insular attitudes and are aggressively pursuing new curricular structures and instructional methods within all areas of the college mission. Enrollment in interdisciplinary humanities (I-D) at two-year colleges, for example, rose 7% nationwide from Spring, 1975, to Spring, 1977, despite a 4% decrease in total humanities enrollment. Though I-D courses pose special administrative problems, especially if team taught, and run the danger of having a watered-down course content, they have immediate relevance to the students and provide for cooperation between humanists and social and natural scientists. Within developmental programs, humanists have provided freshman tutorials which combine basic skills with analysis and synthesis and introduce students to significant ideas and works. Other advances include the development of humanities modules in conjunction with career and technical programs and the continued cognizance of the educational market with the resultant development of needed courses such as international studies. Continued progress depends upon individual instructors dedicated to the integration of the humanities within the General Education Movement. (References to specific programs and colleges are made throughout the text.) (JP)

This publication presents guidelines and suggestions for expanding the role of Native American studies in the present K-12 social studies curriculum. A comprehensive understanding of America's past can only be gained when the history of the Native American people is included. American history is still too often presented as the history of European discovery, settlement, and westward migration. In this context, consideration of the Native American is largely relegated to the first week of the school year or to the first chapter of the textbook. Beyond that a random selection of events, historical figures, and practical contributions may also be included in the curriculum. This narrow approach defines Native American history as having significance only as it directly relates to the European settlement and political development of America. Consequently Native Americans become a part of American history mainly during battles and treaty signings. The suggestions given for expanding the role of Native American studies in the social studies curriculum are many. Students can apply codes of behavior as found in Native American culture to specific situations in schools; they can read biographies of American Indian leaders, philosophers, and warriors; and they can be involved in a multi-media project in which they combine contemporary songs and traditional Native American music with appropriate slides and film. A bibliography for teachers concludes the publication. (Author/RM)

Effective teachers not only remain abreast of new developments in their fields, but strive toward increased mastery of teaching skills by continually extending and refining the specialized knowledge acquired prior to entering the profession. Teachers are expected to lead active intellectual lives and to evince a breadth of erudition that will furnish students with a model of cultivated intellect. The effective teacher participates in periodic review of educational goals with sensitivity to changing societal circumstances and requirements. Effective teachers plan carefully both what is to happen in their classrooms and what is to result from it, so that precious class time will not be wasted for lack of preparation. They exhibit flexibility in taking advantage of unexpected opportunities for enrichment and in dealing with students' difficulties when they become evident. Effective teachers make their influence felt both in the formal deliberations of the faculty and its committees and in informal discussions and conversations among colleagues. To remain at the forefront of their craft, effective teachers take full advantage of the resources offered by professional associations and unions. They are ambassadors of education in the communities in which they teach or reside, helping their fellow citizens to understand what the schools are trying to do and accomplish, learning what is expected of the schools, and working with the community to improve the schools. (JD)

This report arose from discussions among directors of interdisciplinary humanities centers who recognize disparity between what they believe is the popular view of the humanities and their perception of the significant work that their centers sponsor. The question of specialization in the humanities requires attention since it is so often criticized as evidence of a loss of concern with the larger cultural issues and of reduced attention to the needs of the undergraduate learner. But to identify specialization of research as the problem is to misunderstand the situation. First, research must be specialized. Second, to be specialized does not necessarily mean to be trivial. And third, forces within the humanities, such as interdisciplinary humanities centers, already work against narrow specialization. It is imperative that critics of the humanities' failure to construct a core curriculum recognize that every inclusion constitutes a choice, an exclusion, and that those choices reflect local, institutional, and contemporaneous idealogical viewpoints. The number of majors at any given time does not tell a great deal about the internal intellectual and moral state of the humanities. It is likely, however, that humanities enrollments will be stronger in times of prosperity because humanities majors tend not to be seen as pathways to lucrative employment. Of all the recent developments in the humanities, the one that answers negative criticism most directly and most fully expresses the range and importance of the humanities is the proliferation of interdisciplinary humanities centers. (PPB)

The Child Care Action Campaign commissioned research from nine leading economists and policy analysts for the purpose of focusing attention on the link between economic well-being and child care. After the preparation of the research, a national convention was convened to discuss the connection between child care and economic well-being, and to develop a policy consensus for action. A total of 850 leaders from all 50 states attended. This report provides a synthesis of the economic research presented and the policy discussions held at the conference. Part 1 provides the Child Care Action Campaign's statement of policy, including eight key principles underlying a coordinated system of child care. Also provided are recommendations for federal, state, and local governments, employers, academia, media, parents, and the public. Part 2 offers a discussion of the child care market in terms of the current system and its users, high quality care, and sources of leadership. Part 3 considers the relation between child care and the nation's economy. Discussion in this part focuses on: (1) change in the economy, the family, and the labor force; (2) the effect of child care on the labor force; (3) poverty and welfare reform; and (4) early education and the future labor force. A brief description of the nature of corporate involvement in child care is appended. (RH)

These four presentations to the 1983 Community College General Education Association conference address the theme, "Toward a New General Education: Work, Self, and Society." First, "General Education and Work: The Next Decade," by Philip M. Piaker, recounts efforts begun at Harpur College in the late 1940's to revise the general education curriculum, attesting to the difficulties encountered in organizing curricula in new ways and to the pedagogical constraints imposed by institutional interests. Next, "General Education and the Just Society," by Kevin Reilly, discusses the relationship between social justice and general education, providing an overview of differing perceptions of general education placed in the context of their creators' interests and ideology. Reilly views the job of general education as forcing students to confront real issues and make real decisions with knowledge, understanding, and sensitivity. "Technology in General Education," by John G. Truxal, argues that engineering and technology should be included in the general education core as technological understanding is integral to liberating models of learning. Finally, James E. McClellan, in "General Education and Personal Development, or Are There Any Redeeming Social Virtues in the Gen Ed Biz," urges those involved in the general education movement to take up a radical new agenda, addressing realms such as neo-Marxism, epistemology, and the philosophy of language as means of deepening the intellectual roots of the movement. (Author/AYC)

Intended to help those interested in developing ways of coping effectively with the wide variety of meeting and decision-making styles that are available throughout the world, the booklet integrates a number of ideas and approaches discussed at a recent convention of the Society of Intercultural Education, Training, and Research (SIETAR). An introductory section discusses implications of the correlation between language, thought, and behavior as related to meeting styles for intercultural groups. The next section, "Learning Together through Intercultural Dialogue," warns that in many cases the very structure and conventions adopted during meetings can significantly reduce the level of participation of the less dominant group and that such structure can be changed and can eventually lead to a change of attitudes as well. A section on traditional meeting styles presents examples of meeting styles of the Maaga of Nepal, the Barai of Papau New Guinea, the Ibo of Eastern Nigeria, the Mapuche of Chile, and the peasants of Malay. The examples highlight cultural diversity in leadership roles, the presence or absence of periods of silence, levels of participation, and the presence or absence of food or drink. Nine flexible aspects of the structure of meetings are briefly discussed: participant roles, sequence of participation, topic control, decision-making process, pace, space orientation, punctuality, language choice, and amenities. In the final section, examples of artificially reconstructed meeting styles are given to demonstrate the possibility of developing new styles to better facilitate meetings between intercultural groups. (LH)

Although many models of effective ways to teach writing exist, both the teaching and practice of writing are increasingly shortchanged throughout the school and college years. Of the three "Rs," writing is clearly the most neglected. Writing, always time-consuming for student and teacher, is today hard-pressed in the American classroom. The nation's leaders must place writing squarely in the center of the school agenda, and policymakers at the state and local levels must provide the resources required to improve writing. To create a writing revolution, the National Commission on Writing in America's Schools and Colleges recommends: a writing agenda for the nation; increased time (at least doubled) spent on writing; results should be measured; use of new technologies for writing should be undertaken and researched; writing should be required in every curriculum area; and teachers should be trained in how to teach writing. To move this national writing agenda forward, the National Commission proposes a 5-year Writing Challenge for the nation and seeks the support of leaders from education, government, business, and the philanthropic world for this Challenge. The Challenge should issue progress reports, map the terrain ahead, and provide assistance educators on the many details that remain to be ironed out on the topics of writing assessment and the use of technology. (Contains 2 figures and 15 notes.) (NKA)

This report seeks ways to improve the knowledge, understanding, and information available to the federal government on the long-term nature of the science and technology (S&T) enterprise as it relates to societal goals. The recommendations focus on a few key issues: improving the national capacity to define and revise long-term S&T goals; linking S&T programs and goals more closely and clearly to broader societal goals; and building more effective linkages between governments (especially the federal government) and other sectors of society in debating, articulating, and pursuing these goals while assessing progress toward their achievement. The main body of the book consists of an executive summary and the following chapters: (1)"Linking Science and Technology to Societal Goals"; (2) "Setting S&T Goals"; (3) "The Need for Long-Term Goals: Selected Illustrations"; (4) "Recommendations"; and (5) "Goal-Setting, S&T, and Society: A Look at the Future." Members of the Carnegie Commission, its Advisory Council, and a related S&T Task Force are listed. (Contains 35 notes and references.) (PR)

The policy statement of the 1982 Wingspread Conference on Postsecondary Programs for the Disadvantaged is presented. The conference examined the past decade of postsecondary education opportunity programs for disadvantaged and minority students and how the objectives of the programs should be pursued in the 1980s and beyond. Recommendations are presented concerning the following areas: (1) the need for quality education for all, including minority and disadvantaged students; (2) recognition of the interrelatedness of all levels of education, since efforts that improve achievement at the elementary and secondary levels increase the likelihood of success at the postsecondary level; (3) state and federal action in cooperation with postsecondary institutions to overcome the underrepresentation of minority students in many career areas and particularly at the postgraduate level and in the more prestigious and highly selective courses of study; (4) recognition of the experiences and effectiveness of postsecondary opportunity programs for minorities and disadvantaged; and (5) political action on the part of the educational community to respond to the fiscal and social crisis threatening equal educational opportunity. (SW)

The term leisure has two quite distinct usages. On the one hand, the term leisure denotes residual or free time, and on the other hand, it denotes a state of mind that is characterized by perceived freedom and intrinsic motivation. Leisure and mental health are causally related to one another, first because the absence or presence of free time may lead to changes in mental health and also because one's state of mental health may affect the degree to which a person can experience leisure. In light of this interrelationship between leisure and mental health, existing programs focusing on the constructive use of free time for the improvement of mental health should be supported and additional programs should be developed. Furthermore, by including the leisure experience, rather than only the use of free time, as a criterion in the diagnosis of mental health, practitioners will arrive at a better understanding of potential malfunctioning in patients. It is important that mental health professionals and leisure professionals bear in mind the distinction between the concepts of free time and the leisure experience. (MN)

This paper points out that creationists have developed a skill unique to their trade, namely, that of misquotation and quotation out of context from the works of leading evolutionists. This tactic not only frustrates scientists but it misleads school board members, legislators, and the public. A representative sampling of scientists' responses to misquotation and misrepresentation by "scientific" creationists is provided. The scientists responding are: Dr. Richard Lewontin; Dr. Niles Eldredge; Dr. Stephen Jay Gould; Dr. David M. Raup; Dr. Laurie Godfrey; Dr. Isaac Asimov; and Dr. Ashley Montagu. Their comments (which were prepared for this article or excerpted from previously published material) should lay to rest some of the claims that leading "authorities" in science are lending support to antievolutionary arguments or that evolution is no longer accepted by the scientific community. (JN)

Judaism provides for human mental health as well as modern psychology since all elements of counseling philosophy and techniques are inherent in classic Jewish institutions and practices. As opposed to a behaviorist theory of determinism, the Judaic theory of personality and development believes man is endowed with free will but only at the point where consciously decided behavior meets with social learning behavior. This boundary point is always in flux and is the source of a lifelong process of self regulated therapy and education. Judaism posits that man must restore the world to its original order by transgressing negative character traits such as anger, jealousy, and sarcasm. As opposed to psychotherapy, the individual in Judaistic theory is his own counselor with the rabbi serving as resource person and mentor. Under Judaistic beliefs character traits are strongly defined with extremes at either end being unacceptable. The individual, as counselor, must rely on self analysis and self management to bring the body to equilibrium. Just as in Rogerian theory, Judaism is centered around true friendships in terms of genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathy. In Jewish institutions and communities, the counselor must be learned in secular as well as in religious philosophy and laws. Psychotherapy in a Jewish context operates from a religious set of values, with a main thrust of such counseling aimed at distinguishing true religious piety from pathologically caused piety. Therefore, the most comfortable and effective counselor for Jewish clients may be an orthodox therapist. (BL)

Exploration of a number of essays published recently in "Political Science and Perspectives on Politics" makes clear that a number of political scientists consider the question of how they are helping students to become engaged and responsible students is a central goal. The task of working with students in class to help them develop the motivation and skills necessary for engaged citizenship seems a somewhat peripheral professional goal. This paper suggests that political science teachers need to be concerned with creating classroom environments that ask students to articulate and defend their perspectives in dialogue with their peers or the authors whose work is assigned in class. The educator/author of the paper states that her work with oral communication in her government classes has grown out of collaboration and work with scholars in the fields of rhetoric and speech communication. The paper discusses the development of a course on the communication environment and pedagogy and a course on the politics of family. The goals, assignments, and other efforts resulted in a course called "The Politics of Family in America." It offers considerations of the courses and addresses goals for the future. Includes 28 notes. (BT)

This paper argues that diversity and flexibility have been the cornerstones of the community college over the last three or four decades. Of recent interest has been the change in the student profile from that of the recent local high school graduate to the returning student, as well as a mix of international students. These international students range from the children of recent immigrants to newly arrived immigrants and refugees and children of well-off citizens of other countries. Those students come from a variety of economic and political situations, and they bring perspectives and experiences that enrich the educational community. The community college has responded with international campus organizations, language labs, multicultural textbooks, cultural events, and international fairs. This paper argues for making connections between the teaching profession and the possibilities for humanitarian action on a global level. The author suggests that community colleges put together credit-bearing humanitarian trips, particularly in light of the recent evidence of national isolation and defensiveness after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The paper concludes that the events of September 11 should encourage community colleges to broaden their outreach, and for the humanities to show that the idea of humanity has no borders. (NB)

Educators must realize that today's public schools are a specialized development out of the universal culture-process. Research anthropologists have identified cross-culturally as enculturation, the process of acquiring a culture. By virtue of being born into a specific socio-cultural group, all humans have culture, and all human groups enculturate their young. Public education as required by law in this society is but an extension of and addition to the enculturative experience already begun and firmly established in the child's family of orientation and immediate socio-cultural community when that child is given over to the public school system to be educated. It is this very nature as cultural beings and products of enculturation that underlies much of the highly publicized and openly debated failure in the public schools today. Noting that culture has supplanted biology as the primary adaptive mechanism in humans, this paper states that humans function as if their specific culture represented the only way of truly being human. The paper finds that this leads to ethnocentrism, and it discusses ethnocentrism. It asks what intellectual tools most people have for understanding themselves and others, except for the tools acquired from within culture-specific adaptations through the enculturative experience. The paper emphasizes that public school teachers must be prepared to approach their teaching from the modern, holistic, cross-cultural perspective of scientific anthropology or from what has been called an anthropological point of view, so that they can consciously work against the ethnocentric teaching that impedes directed learning across cultural borders. Lists recommended readings. Attached is a supplement: "A Fundamental Proposition of Pedagogical Anthropology along with Some Preliminary First Principles of Cross-Cultural Teaching." (BT)

This paper continues a long-standing process, expressed in current practices of reauthorizing federal legislation every 5 years, of examining the rationale for federal involvement in occupational (vocational) education. Past discussions of this issue have come to a broad set of conclusions that the federal government should fund what states cannot fund on their own, including efforts to improve the quality of occupational education, to enhance equity, and to conduct the kind of research and demonstration projects that are more efficiently carried out at the federal level. Section I of the paper outlines the historical role of the federal government in occupational education and details two important changes in the continuing arguments--the Education Consensus around the need for a better-prepared labor force and the Institutional Transformation of high school and postsecondary occupational education since the early part of the 20th Century. Section II outlines why certain changes implied by the Education Consensus are unlikely to be undertaken by states and why there remains a justification for a federal role in implementing this consensus. Section III presents an explicit argument for the need and role constraints for federal policy in occupational education, especially given limited funding and the current government attitude not to intrude on the prerogatives of the states. (Contains 21 references.) (KC)

One of the primary principles of Readers Theater is to "dramatize" literature in classroom performance and to provide a visual and oral stimulus to students who are unaccustomed to using imagination to appreciate literary texts. Readers Theater may be used to enhance the critical study of language; to explore author meaning or point of view; to promote reading, writing, and listening skills; and to display creative talents of student performers. This paper discusses selected conventions of Readers Theater and gives a performance blueprint. It also presents selected exercises, developed in introduction to literature classes for non-majors, which should provide an excellent foundation to support further creative exploration by interested instructors. It notes that the exercises are framed as participatory activities to stimulate awareness of basic Readers Theater principles of classroom performance, and are intended to promote a classroom atmosphere of relaxed inquiry and "risk-free" role-playing. Exercises presented in the paper are entitled: "Vocal" Special Effects; X-Files: Three Characters in Search of an Alien Author; and You Are There. (NKA)

This paper discusses how to foster peace in the world via the establishment of global physical education and sports studies. It begins by defining the word human as a way to grasp the entirety of the people living throughout the world. It goes on to discuss a hypothesis for creating ball game studies, explaining that when a human plays a ball game, the human becomes a ball human, and describing the living phenomenon of each type of ball game. It suggests that the existence of the ball human can be understood as three aspects: the movement-cultural existence of the ball human, the educational existence of the ball human, and the social existence of the ball human. The paper discusses the movement cultural ontology of the ball human, the methodology of the ball human, and the construction of a national theory in each nation of the world. A message to the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Japan regarding the national theory of physical education and sports studies and world responsibility is included. (SM)

In the last decade there has been a whirlwind of change in policies affecting social studies education. Among the most noteworthy changes have been a national commission on social studies, subject-centered national standards, statewide high-stakes testing, school restructuring, and performance assessment. All of these changes have ramifications for method, the effective direction of subject matter to desired results. This paper suggests four ways in which social studies researchers could inform and challenge policymaking. The paper focuses on the growing centralization of curriculum decision making and associated high-stakes tests that has come to the forefront since the advent of national standards. Contains 15 references. (BT)

This paper discusses the benefits and problems of tenure at higher education institutions in light of criticisms of a lack of faculty accountability and productivity. It examines the effects of contract versus tenure systems on faculty motivation, and argues that it is not the security of tenure that reduces faculty motivation and hence productivity, but rather the absence of necessary organizational contextual conditions that build on the underlying requisite base support of tenure and thus induce strong motivation. These conditions include an organizational design that provides for: (1) intrinsic satisfactions derived from the work itself; (2) communication mechanisms that permit peer generated productivity and quality norms; (3) multiple career tracks that lead to high status; (4) the opportunity to take risks in new intellectual ventures without penalty; and (5) an expectation of trust and goodwill. The paper concludes that it would be more sensible to improve the conditions for making tenure successful new kinds of academic organizations, peer review procedures and peer sanctions, and better interinstitutional mobility than to replace it with a contract system whose negative consequences in the long run will be much more damaging than the short-term benefits that may result. (Contains 60 references.) (MDM)

Within the current historical crisis of transnational capitalism, disabled people are finding themselves increasingly at risk. It is essential to (re)theorize the category of disability, particularly in critical response to the emancipatory possibilities offered through "border pedagogies." The paper locates the conceptual category of disability as the central ordering force within the social relations of schooling in much the same manner as theorists of race, class, gender, and sexuality have done before and ask the following questions: What does disability mean within the current global capitalist economy? How has global capitalism historically maintained the marginal "otherness" of disability? In what ways is disability related to the other social differences produced through race, class, gender, and sexual orientation? Through these questions that locate disability as the central analytic within the social relations of schooling, the paper demonstrates how this move will not only destablize the discursive meanings of disability, but will also challenge and reconstitute the historical, economic, political, and cultural structures that construct and shape lives in schools and therefore in society at large. A historical materialist analysis can foreground the necessity to transform the exploitative capitalist social relations that have historically marginalized disabled subjects. (Contains 54 references.) (LMI)

This concept paper prepared for a conference on the theme of "2000 and Beyond: Preparing Quality Leaders for the Schools of Tomorrow," offers some suggestions for how future school leaders should prepare in order to develop pre- and in-service programs for current and future elementary and middle school principals. The paper offers a model of quality education that is based on lasting principles of excellence, dignity, and connectedness, with excellence conceived of as surpassing one's personal best, dignity being achieved by choosing actions and participating in activities that contribute to self-esteem and self-respect, and connectedness meaning drawing people together rather than separating, segregating, or discriminating against them, and including others in decision making. A quality education requires a supportive environment, which is defined as an organization that reaches toward the future and has leaders who possess the skills for building a community of learners. Such a supportive environment can be conceptualized as having four cornerstones that represent fundamental human needs: to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy. Other sections of the paper discuss related literature and research, the fit of the model, and implications for the profession. (Contains 22 references.) (CH)

The "bear" sitting in the middle of the classroom, on the seminar table, or prowling around the edges of a discussion group arises from the subtext that is created whenever teachers and students interact with a curriculum, lesson, or topic. The situation in the postmodern classroom has been destabilized by the unprecedented intrusion into the school environment of societal issues that are increasingly complex and often contradictory. Teachers are no longer voices of unquestioned authority in student lives. There is the recognition on both sides of the education equation that the teacher/student relationship has become polarized and politicized. This paper examines the two sides of the equation: learner and teacher. Each section of the paper is centered on a particular text that illustrates some of the issues pertinent to the topic. The paper begins by defining the "postmodern" student, then examines the perspectives of both these students and their teachers. It continues with a discussion of ways in which the postmodern student might be taught, and concludes with thoughts relating to teacher education, and steps towards a new vision of schools and education. (Contains 29 references.) (ND)

Starting with the contention that we need to restore a wider range of choice to parents in their children's education, this paper lists and reviews the varieties of public education currently available throughout the country, and discusses their advantages and disadvantages. These varieties include magnet schools, alternative schools, independent study programs, postsecondary enrollment plans for high school students to take courses at local colleges and universities, vocational education programs, and the GED (General Educational Development) testing program (in lieu of attending and completing school). Two other types of choice programs differ from the above in that they offer choices only to particular groups rather than to the community at large: regional, residential, specialty high schools sponsored at the state level for the most accomplished students in a given specialty (math and science, humanities, performing arts), and second chance arrangements for dropouts or for students who have consistently failed in regular schools. The second part of the paper reviews available choices in the private sector: parochial schools (Catholic, fundamentalist, or Jewish); private, residential prep schools for the wealthy; independent schools for disadvantaged minorities; proprietary business or trade schools that promise job training and placement to disadvantaged teenagers and young adults; and home schooling. (TE)

This paper makes the case that it is time for a renewal of the federal commitment to educational access. While the federal government is only one of several critical partners in the higher education finance system in the United States, it is the only entity with either the mission or the capacity to take responsibility for the national agenda of removing the financial barriers to higher education. The problem of unequal educational opportunities will not be solved by expecting individuals, private organizations, educational institutions, or state governments to set aside their own interests in order to further social goals. The solution will involve understanding market forces and the role of incentives and designing federal policies to harness those forces. The federal government is responsible for setting its own agenda and pursuing it, while providing incentives that will increase the level of participation of other entities in assuring access to postsecondary education for all qualified students. The need for increased funding for need-based grants at all levels should not be underemphasized, but encouraging the federal government to find efficient ways to target existing funds and generate new funds for educational opportunity from nongovernmental sources provides a more promising policy agenda in the short run. The paper lists an agenda of constructive steps toward strengthening the federal role in the student aid partnership. (Contains 13 references.) (SLD)

A literate mind is the kind of mind people need to do their jobs well, to adjust as their jobs change, and to be able to change jobs when they need to or want to. This paper contends that today, not enough adults have this kind of literacy, nor are students learning it well enough. A literate mind matters in the following contexts: in changing jobs; communicating in society; and flourishing in the global village. Literate thinking is also defined as the ability to engage in the kinds of thinking and reasoning people use when they read and write even in situations where reading and writing are not involved. This view of literacy assumes individual and cultural differences and societal changes over time. In addition to discussing a sociocognitive view of literacy, this paper touches on envisionment-building, literacy understanding, teachers' professional lives, test preparation, and a new study called Partnership for Literacy. (PM)

This paper presents the author's experiences in attempting to adapt to and include the use of technology while teaching reading and language arts skills to students of limited English proficiency and low socio-economic levels. The author used videos for instruction, and prepared traditional lesson plans in language arts and reading. The lessons consisted of previewing questions, soliciting and reviewing vocabulary, grammar skills development, identification and discussion of characters, plot, and possible and alternate endings. Vocabulary, story retelling, and summary charts were prepared with the students, and reviewed on the following day. The students' progress was closely monitored. Because the students had limited literacy ability at the time, the visual images listening features of the videos allowed the students to concentrate on the stories, without the anxiety caused by the inability to decode written material. They participated more in the language and grammar skills development part of the lesson because they were surer of the accuracy of their answers. This paper discusses obstacles, equipment used, outcomes and benefits. The paper concludes with a brief description of some curriculum strategies through which technology can be used for instructional purposes across the subject areas. (AEF)

Recently, the professional literature as well as the media have focused on the achievement gap between African American and White students. Although some of the solutions proposed are grounded in substantive thinking, others are representative of the typical quick fixes that continue to dominate public education while not improving the teaching and learning of these children. Successfully educating African American students is a complex process involving both big-picture considerations and specific instructional strategies. At the very least, students need to know that adults in their lives truly care about them. To help improve Black students' academic outcomes, educators should demonstrate genuine caring as they act in specific ways to enhance achievement. This paper defines"caring" and then discusses genuine caring for students. The paper next discusses caring and literacy learning regarding students, suggesting literacy practices that should be part of the educator's repertoire, including: encourage lively discussions, immerse children in drama, support lifetime literacy efforts, and build resilience in literacy learners. It notes that Black students especially benefit from these practices because they encounter more adversity and challenges in their daily lives and thus need more support in school. The paper also sees as important for Black children's academic success the hiring of African American teachers as role models, preparing culturally competent educators, and implementing culturally pertinent curricula. (Contains 36 references.) (NKA)

The years when a young child's language skills are "exploding" are the years between three and five. What can make a dramatic difference in a child's life is if parents take a few minutes a day to read to him or her. Reading to a child helps him or her become a successful reader. The child develops a sense of phonics and learns that stories have a certain structure, besides learning vocabulary and memory skills and other things. This paper, one of four on literature and the young child, addresses phonics and story structure. The paper tells how a child develops a sense of phonics through rhythm and rhyme, how he or she learns that stories have a certain structure--a beginning, a middle, and an end--and that certain stories have unique patterns. An 11-item annotated bibliography (No. 1) recommends books with rhythm, rhyme and/or repetition; and another 13-item annotated bibliography (No. 2) recommends books of simple folktales, cumulative tales, and circle stories. (NKA)

This paper focuses on how urban high schools may be not only revitalized but also transformed into institutions that are designed to help students at the crossroads of their academic careers. It discusses the rationale for change, historic highlights of this effort, and a new vision for American high schools. Some of the promising approaches to change include: transforming large impersonal schools into small schools; using whole-school design; reaching out to parents and other community members to increase their involvement in education; and partnering with businesses and universities. The paper highlights the Carnegie Corporation's Schools for a New Society initiative, which has awarded planning grants to 10 community-school district partnerships working on urban high school reform. The paper also focuses on principles outlined by the New Century High Schools for New York City Consortium, a $30 million commitment to high school reform in New York City announced in December 2000 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Open Society Institute, and the Carnegie Corporation. (SM)

Noting that the preschool years provide an optimal time for developing fundamental skills with lifelong implications, this paper examines the role of art in early childhood education, arguing that art improves the quality of life for young children. The paper maintains that art is the basis of early learning and that allowing children to experience art fosters the development of many skills, including eye-hand coordination and good work habits. Further, art fosters creativity and allows children to make sense of their world. Children delight in the process of creating art; early childhood art must be focused on that process rather than on the product. In addition, art can be used as a tool to foster young children's self-esteem and to give children the freedom to express themselves. Art enhances socialization in several ways, including encouraging sharing with others and permitting children to take risks. The paper argues that art activities provide children with an opportunity to experience success and that teachers have an obligation to encourage children and offer approval of their art work. The paper suggests that having a portfolio for each child's work is important for early childhood programs. Other suggestions include the avoidance of teacher models for children's work, and the mixture of highly creative and highly recognizable art experiences. Finally, the paper presents the findings of a survey of early childhood teachers regarding their opinion about young children's art. (Contains 13 references.) (KB)

What is the nature of instructional design? Is instructional design merely the practical application of learning theories to learning situations? What elements form the building blocks of instructional design theory and research? What assumptions about the nature of people and society are behind theories, principles, and practice? These questions arise naturally in the context of recent international discussions about foundation issues in instructional design. This paper asserts that there is an identifiable landscape (context, perspectives, issues, methods, and values) associated with instructional design. Key features of that landscape include assumptions about the nature of being a person and living in society. Without such an identifiable landscape, there is little real possibility for progress in instructional design research. (Contains 38 references.) (Author/SLD)