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The 2017 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages was held at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago. The theme focused on moving students from knowing about the language to becoming proficient in the language. The conference boasted 328 sessions and workshops. This report contains conference articles that focus on developing proficiency from PK-16. Topics include the promotion and assessment of performance and proficiency in a variety of contexts, and through the use of multiple technologies. Articles also explore the possibilities that exist for intercultural understanding, community engagement, and advocacy for language learning.

This Yearbook begins with Robert J. Rickelman's presidential speech, "Predicting the Whether: Lessons Learned from the Past," which focused on looking at the "History of the College Reading Association" in order to predict some possible (the "whether") courses for the future of the organization. The author relied extensively on the "History of the College Reading Association: 1958-1998" (Alexander & Strode, 1999) as well as his own personal experiences from the past 25 years as a member and leader within the organization. The papers comprising this Yearbook that follow Rickelman's presidential address are: (1) Fast Start: Successful Literacy Instruction That Connects Schools and Homes (Nancy Padak and Tim Rasinski); (2) Preparing Elementary Teachers in Reading: Will University-Based Programs Move Forward or be "Left Behind" (James V. Hoffman); (3) Latino Children's Literature Is Mainstream (Becky Chavarria-Chairez); (4) Reflections, Remembrances and Resonances (Albert J. Mazurkiewicz); (5) Sharing Storybooks: A Study with Families from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds (Jacqueline Lynch); (6) The Effects of Visualization Instruction on First Graders' Story Retelling (Tracy Zimmerman); (7) Tuning into the Sounds of Language: Teaching Phonemic Awareness through Rhymes, Songs, Poetry and Children's Literature (JoAnn R. Dugan, Barrie A. Brancato, and Jocelynn L. Smrekar); (8) Teaching Fluently: Exploring Teaching Practices in Divergent Certification Programs (Catherine Zeek and Carole Walker); (9) Reading and Auditory Processing: A Collaborative Project (Daniel H. Sisterhen, Martha J. Larkin, Cathleen Doheny, and Donna M. Harkins); (10) Learner-Centered Teachers' Approaches to Literacy Instruction: Are They "Best Practice?" (Barbara Combs); (11) Author Study Inquiry Promotes "Theory into Practice" for Teaching Literacies (Linda S. Wold); (12) The Value of Interactive Writing as an Intervention for the Literacy Acquisition of Struggling First-Grade Students (Barbara K. O'Connor); (13) Engaging Preservice Teachers in Reading, "Sticky Note" Style: An Analysis and Practical Implications (Christene A. McKeon, Michelle L. Lenarz, and Linda C. Burkey); (14) Impacting Literacy Politics, Policies, and Legislation: Moving from Inactive Idlers and Reactive Regretters to Proactive Professionals (Francine Falk-Ross, Mona W. Matthews, Mary Beth Sampson, Barbara J. Fox, Jill Lewis, Maryann Mraz, Jill Reddish, D. Ray Reutzel, and Loraine T. Pace); (15) An Intervention Program for Helping Pre-Certified Teachers Succeed on the Teacher Licensing Exams (Agnes Marie Imburgin Stryker); (16) Preparing Preservice Teachers to Show Evidence of P-12 Pupil Learning (Jane F. Rudden and Lillie S. West); (17) How Preservice Teachers Score an Informal Reading Inventory: Strengths and Weaknesses (Jerry L. Johns and Susan K. L'Allier); (18) Becoming Teachers of Writing: A Model of Professional Development for Primary Teachers (Ruth A. Oswald and Kristine Lynn Still); (19) Early Childhood Teachers' Beliefs and Practices Toward Children's Subvocalizations During Reading (Carla Baker Deniz); (20) Someplace Special: Images of the Library Experience in Children's Literature (Suzanne S. Monroe); (21) SOLVE: An Innovative Assessment Tool for Facilitating Mathematics and Reading Literacy Among Diverse Learners (Rosalind Duplechain, Jill Reddish, and Elaine Roberts); (22) Student Led Literature Discussion Groups With High School ESL Students in Korea: The Journey (Donald D. Pottorff); (23) Dialogue with Caregivers: Perceptions of a Reading Clinic (Donna M. Harkins, Ronald S. Reigner, John M. Ponder, and Gary O. Gregg); (24) Follow the Reader: What Happens to Students Who Have Been Tutored in a University Reading Clinic? (Nancy G. Kennedy and Rita M. Bean); (25) Reading Between the Lines: Middle School Readers Uncover Messages in Magazine Advertisements (Roberta Linder and Francine Falk-Ross); (26) Recommended Procedures for Reading Mathematics in Current and Past Content/Secondary Reading Textbooks (Daniel L. Pearce and Nancy G. Reynolds); (27) Struggling Adolescent Readers: Just Because They're in a Developmental Reading Class Doesn't Mean They Need Phonics (Carol D. Wickstrom); (28) Summer Reading Programs: Perceptions of a University Freshman Reading Experience (Staci Stone, Bonnie Higginson, and Laura Liljequist); (29) Reading Professionals Learn On-Line: Using Threaded Discussions to Learn about Threaded Discussions (Judy S. Richardson, Charlene Fleener, and Linda Thistlewaite); and (30) Using Assistive Technology to Teach Content Area Literacy Strategies to Students with Disabilities (Kathleen Puckett and William Brozo). (Individual papers contain tables, figures, references, and appendices.)

This paper describes responses to linguistic pluralism in Australian policy in relation to Australia's Asian language context, and the teaching and learning of Japanese within these two frameworks. Finally, the paper considers some ideas relating intercultural language learning to all second language study termed: the Third Place. There are three approaches typically taken toward multilingualism in a given society, looking at multilingualism as a problem, a right, or a resource. Australia viewed multilingualism as a problem through the middle of the 1970s. This eventually led to a contestation of that approach, which culminated in the language as a right movement, which gained considerable ground in the later 1970s and through the 1980s. By the 1990s, the language a resource school began to gain influence. Regarding multilingualism as a resource involves construing the diversity of languages within the community as a public as well as an individual benefit and fashioning public policies accordingly. All of Australia's languages are reviewed, including a review of the role of Japanese language studies in Australian education and Japanese studies. Cultures, general knowledge, and intercultural language teaching are also discussed. (Contains 18 references.) (KFT)

This paper argues that present institutional settings in rural Australia are inadequate for bringing about a culture that is fair and inclusive. A vision for rural Australia based predominantly on a market economy and its attendant policies and institutions allows the "means" (the market) to determine the ends and may lead to an undesirable type of society. An institutional framework directed solely to market solutions has the potential to contradict important social, cultural, and spiritual values and may lead to overemphasis on materialism, competition, and selfish individualism. These characteristics may undermine "community" and the very fundamentals that make markets work--trust and the security of reliable, honorable transactions. A solution lies in rural policies that support infusion of new values into institutions--values of empowerment, cooperation, spiritual growth, caring, and tolerance. Concepts of "community" must be revived in the context of a lifelong learning culture supported by social capital. This context would include enabling programs and activities that involve information generation and use, facilitation of change, capacity building, leadership development, and action research. Other related issues include the relevance of money and appropriate economic relationships, positive and negative aspects of competitiveness, work as enrichment, the influence of property rights, the role of women, contributions of the arts to a new culture, and policy guaranteeing minimum income. (Contains 64 references.) (Author/SV)

For the twenty-fifth year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. This is Volume 2 of the 25th Annual Proceedings of Selected Papers On the Practice of Educational Communications and Technology Presented at The National Convention of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology held in Dallas, Texas. This volume contains papers primarily dealing with instruction and training issues. Papers dealing with research and development are contained in the companion volume (25th Annual, Volume 1), which also contains over 60 papers. The papers contained in this document represent some of the most current thinking in educational communications and technology. (Individual papers contain references, figures and tables.) [For Volume 1, see ED496300. For Volumes 1 and 2 of the 2001 proceedings, see ED470066.]

This conference proceedings compiles a representative sample of the papers presented at the Institute of Early Childhood in July 2001, one in a series of conferences examining the challenges which the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy present the early childhood profession in Australia. The conference focused on the interpretation of experiences and interactions in the life of early childhood settings. The papers are: (1) "Rejoicing in Subjectivity: An Overview Based on a Personal Interpretation of the Schools for Young Children in the City of Reggio Emilia" (Jan Milikan), presenting one educator's interpretations of the early childhood programs in Reggio Emilia and discussing children's potentials, projects, collaboration, and documentation; (2) "Constructing Ourselves: A Search for Interpretation in a Diverse United States Setting" (Shareen Abramson), stressing the positive and negative aspects of the tensions associated with experiencing ideals from Reggio Emilia in schools in California; (3) "Unpacking the Gaze: Shifting Lenses" (Janet Robertson), challenging the gaze practitioners use to see children and interpret theory, particularly with relation to work with toddlers; (4) "Diversity Silenced" (Alma Fleet), considering possible interpretations of diversity through Australian pedagogical documentation; and (5) "Dialogue with Reggio: What Are Some Possibilities for Primary Schools?" (Lesley Studans), offering a personal journey to assist people considering implications of the ideas from Reggio Emilia in formal schooling environments. Most papers contain references. (KB)

This paper examines the organizational context in which student protest is currently enacted and finds a new generation of campus activism organized around multiculturalism. Qualitative methods are used to analyze five case studies of student protest: (1) the Mills College (California) strike of 1990; (2) the Chicano studies movement at the University of California (Los Angeles) in 1993; (3) gay rights demonstrations at Pennsylvania State University from 1991 to 1993; (4) African American student resistance at Rutgers University (New Jersey)in 1995; and (5) financial aid protests involving American Indian students at Michigan State University from 1994 to 1996. Data collection involved 110 interviews with students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members and analysis of documents and other artifacts of campus incidents and student organizing efforts. Each case study is presented in terms of a general description of the particular movement and its relationship to identity concerns, the precipitating events that escalated to highly visible campus demonstrations, the student response to the precipitating events, and organizational outcomes associated with a particular student movement. The study finds that all five cases were fundamentally linked to issues of multiculturalism and identity struggle. (Contains 46 references.) (DB)

This document contains 43 papers from a conference on researching inclusion. The following are among the papers included: "Include Me Out: Critique and Contradiction in Thinking about Social Exclusion and Lifelong Learning" (Paul Armstrong); "The Linking of Work and Education To Enable Social Inclusion" (Dave Beck); "Including Citizenship in the Adult Curriculum" (Roseanne Benn); "Researching 'Inclusion': Reality and Rhetoric; It's All in the Curriculum Approach" (Darol Cavanagh); "Flexibility and Inclusion in Lifelong Learning: Working the Discourses in Further Education" (Julia Clarke, Richard Edwards); "Researching Inclusion: The Development of Adult Education for Women" (Janet Coles); "Peripheral Vision: Staff Development and Part-Time Tutors in Adult Education" (Derek Cox);"Valuing Exclusive Educational Provision for Disabled Adults" (Mark Dale); "Without and Within: Inclusion, Identity and Continuing Education in a New Wales" (Ian Davidson, Brec'hed Piette); "Adding Life to Your Years: Transformative Learning for Older People at the Irish Museum of Modern Art" (Ted Fleming); "The Network Society and Lifelong Learning--The Work of Manuel Castells and Theories of Adult Education" (Nick Frost); "An Inclusive MBA? Researching Curriculum Design and Delivery" (Roger Hall, Caroline Rowland); "Including the Excluding Image: Researching and Teaching Cultural Images of Adult Educators" (Ann Harris, Christine Jarvis); "Re-Visioning the Boundaries of Learning Theory in the Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)" (Judy Harris); "Reducing Exclusion--Introducing Choice: The Introduction of Distance Learning into Taught Courses" (Christine Hibbert); "Accountability, Audit and Exclusion in Further and Higher Education" (Phil Hodkinson, Martin Bloomer); "Voices from the Community: The Challenge of Creating a Culturally Relevant Curriculum and Inclusive Learning Environment" (Ann-Marie Houghton, Helen Ali); "Opening Pathways to Inclusion: The Importance of Non-Accredited Learning in the Lives of Students in the Local Authority Sector" (Ann Jackson, Belinda Whitwell); "Education in a Uniting Society?" (Nick Small); "'We're Not the Only Ones Learning Here'--An Investigation of Co-Tutoring and the Dynamics of Power within a Class of Adult Dyslexics" (Barbara Taylor); and "Including Mezirow's Concept of Perspective Transformation in the Study of Adult Education" (Miho Tokiwa-Fuse). Many papers contain substantial bibliographies. (MN)

At all levels, Chicanos and Chicanas drop out of school at higher rates than any other racial or ethnic group, eventually resulting in under-representation within institutions of higher education. Although all Latino subgroups experience barriers to their education, Chicanos have the lowest rate of college completion (5 percent). Central to the academic persistence of Chicano college students is the need for a culturally relevant and supportive university community. A university environment should be culturally inclusive and should welcome and validate the values of all its members in promoting optimal growth and learning. Equally important are the commitment and efforts of individuals in and around the community to be active resources for Chicano students. Cultural ambiance and community commitment are interdependent and interwoven such that cultural ambiance cannot truly exist without community commitment, and commitment must be demonstrated by actions that modify traditional university norms, values, and perceptions. Cultural ambiance occurs within four domains: general university environment, student learning environment, classroom and curriculum environment, and faculty environment. Each of these domains is briefly discussed to contextualize the experiences of Chicano students. The roles of faculty, family, and community leaders in creating and maintaining a university community are described. Recommendations are offered in each domain. (Contains 37 references.) (SV)

This booklet discusses some consequences of internationalization for national training systems from the standpoint of the following two broad approaches often taken by international organizations: (1) the human capital ideology, which assumes human capital is an appropriate basis for education policy; and (2) the human rights and human development ideology, which asserts that education is best conceived in humanistic terms rather than in terms of the instrumentalism espoused by human capital ideology. The booklet is divided into four parts. Part 1 considers the three main ways international organization impact on national education systems and explains why it is important for applied linguists, literacy experts, and human capital economists to engage in "professional conversation." Part 2 focuses on the following three topics: the concepts of internationalization and globalization; nations and the global economy as entities on a collision course; and the concept of the multicultural nation. Part 3 traces how the left and right wings of politics have traditionally regarded states' response to globalization and how most political entities have come to adopt a common ideology of market liberalization. Part 4 explores how human capital has become the theoretical framework that dominates thinking about education in many societies. (Contains 16 references.) (MN)

Principals in the Pacific region face a variety of challenges that may be different from those in other regions. In October 2000, principals of Pacific schools were invited to attend a regional summit to address questions on instructional leadership. Participants listed characteristics they felt were important in a Pacific school instructional leader: able to be a compassionate leader, culturally sensitive to and respectful of other cultures, and culturally sensitive to student and teacher needs; able to assimilate cultures in the school/community context; open to multiple perspectives; respected by and respectful of the community; knowledgeable of the language and culture of the community; able to understand community values and social/cultural events; and willing to share in school leadership. Some identified barriers to effective instructional leadership as leadership without vision, lack of planning, communication breakdown at various levels, limited resources, lack of experience/understanding of school functions, and lack of readiness for beginning the school year. Recommendations include having service providers partner with principals to provide technical assistance/training and to validate effective practices, identifying quality trainers, having policymakers revisit educational and governmental mandates and policies and update them as needed, and having school boards concentrate on policymaking, not "micromanaging." (RT)

This study used data from the Midwest Colleges Study to examine the personal characteristics and environmental features that affect the development of college students' attitudes toward diversity and race-based politics. Specifically, it evaluated how college students' demographic characteristics, precollege backgrounds, perceptions of discrimination, and college environment differentially affected these attitudes. Astin's Input-Environment-Output impact model was used as the study's framework. The study found that a few personal characteristics (parent educational level, gender, and attending a white high school) influenced student attitudes. However, environmental factors appeared to influence students attitudes to a greater extent. Students most supportive of diversity included black students who were involved on campus, white students who were members of organizations concerned with black issues, white students who lived on campus, and white students who did not have mostly white friends. In contrast, white students not involved on campus were most opposed to race-based policies such as affirmative action. Students, both black and white, who took a black studies course tended to be supportive of diversity. (Contains 41 references.) (DB)

The purpose of this paper is to explore avenues for achieving pluralistic leadership cultures and present three principles: (1) awareness of identity, positionality, and power conditions; (2) acknowledgment of multiple descriptions of campus leadership and personal philosophies of leadership; and (3) negotiation among multiple descriptions of campus leadership and personal philosophies of leadership. A review of the literature shows that previous monocultural and male-dominated definitions of leadership fail to allow full participation by members of all groups. Through multiple definitions of campus leadership, more organizational participants can become involved and this in part leads to better resolution of conflict. Further, pluralistic leadership should lead to more diverse groups of people being identified, hired, and advanced to leadership positions. Pluralistic leadership cultures will lead to the expansion of curriculum within leadership training to include a broader range of traits, behaviors, power/influence processes, and cognitive processes. Finally, being aware of the multiple ways that leadership is defined can facilitate sounder organizational communication as organizational participants realize the necessity of explaining their assumptions about leadership. Two case studies or in-depth narrative portraits are also presented. These cases are taken from a community college transitioning from a traditional hierarchical model to a servant leadership model. (Contains 96 references.) (JLS)

The current resurgence of racism on America's college campuses suggests that institutions may need to take a more conscious look at how they might be influencing students' racial attitudes. This paper examines: (1) the individual student characteristics and beliefs that influence white students' racial attitudes at college entry; (2) the impact of the various institutional environments on white students' attitudes; and (3) the ways in which this information can be used by an institution to promote multiculturalism and improve interracial understanding within the campus community. A model was developed to examine institutional impact on student racial attitudes. Results of a study at the University of Michigan which considered on aspect of racial attitudes, students' attitudes toward affirmative action practices and policies within a college or university are analyzed. The data for this paper were drawn from a research study conducted by the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education and the Office of Minority Affairs at the University of Michigan involving 485 white students who responded to two surveys. The outcomes of the path analyses indicated that students enter college with ambivalent feelings toward affirmative action and that colleges and universities have the potential to tip the balance either for or against such practices. Within this study, males became less supportive of affirmative action during their first year of college, while females became more supportive of these policies. Findings suggest the vital role that institutional researchers play in providing empirical data on student attitudes to guide institutional decisions. (Contains 24 references.) (GLR)

Fifteen papers delivered for the Division of General Research Libraries at the 1992 International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions annual meeting are presented. These papers deal with national libraries, parliamentary (legislative) libraries, and university libraries. The papers are: (1) "Seeking Alternatives to National Libraries" (E. W. B. Williams); (2) "The Role of National Library as a Bibliographic Centre in a Multi-Lingual Situation: The Indian Context" (K. Dasgupta); (3) "Developmental Strategies of Computerized Legislative Information Services" (K. M. Ku); (4) "The Russian Parliamentary Library: Its History, Functions and Proposed Automation" (J. Shraiberg); (5) "Rethinking a Library: Knowledge for Legislators and the Library of Congress of Chile" (X. Feliu, M. Delano); (6) "Parliament of India and Information Management" (C. K. Jain); (7) "Information Services in a University Library--Will the 21st Century Bring Us Anything Different or Will It Be More of the Same" (A. J. Evans); (8) "The Changing Role of the University Library--Crafting a More Effective Role for the Library" (F. K. Groen); (9) "University Libraries in India" (K. A. Isaac); (10) "Library and Reference, Research, Documentation and Information Services to Members of Parliament in India" (G. C. Malhotra); (11) "Tripura Legislative Assembly Library: A Study" (S. Debnath); (12) "Library and Information Services in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly" (S. S. Rajamani); (13) "Library Reference and Research Services in Rajasthan Legislative Assembly" (C. P. Gupta); (14) "The Needs of University Libraries in Developing Countries" (G. G. Allen); and (15) "The Finnish Universities' Research Database Project" (P. Kytomaki). (SLD)

Eleven papers delivered for the Division of Libraries Serving the General Public at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions 1992 annual meeting are presented. Most deal with library services to multicultural populations, including those of developing countries. The following papers are included: (1) "Library Provision to Indians Living in Malaysia" (K. S. Mun); (2) "Library Services to Indians in Canada" (U. Prasada-Kole); (3) "Library Services to the Indian Population in the United States" (R. N. Sharma); (4) "The Southern Ontario Multilingual Pool: A Model for Cooperative Library Service Development" (S. Skrzeszewski); (5) "Meeting Information Needs of Slow, Average and Gifted Learners" (M. Kapoor); (6) "The Application of Information Technology (IT) in Public Libraries in Developing Countries" (P. Borchardt); (7) "The Role of the Public Library in Combating Illiteracy" (B. Thomas); (8) "The First UNESCO Library Pilot Project" (S. N. Khanna); (9) "'Transformation': The ODA Trainer Development Project for Central and State Training Institute Librarians in India" (M. Freeman); (10) "User Education around the World: The UNESCO Survey of Library and Information User Education Programmes in Some Developing Countries" (O. Kokkonen); and (11) "Ask the Same Questions and Get a Different Answer--A Case Study in Library Opening Hours Surveys" (J. Frylinck). Most papers are followed by references. (SLD)

This study examined whether and how an institution of higher education's emphasis on diversity affects students of color differently from white students. Data, which were drawn from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program, involved 15,600 students who were freshmen in 1985 and were followed up in 1989 and who identified themselves as belonging to one of the following four groups: African American, Mexican American/Chicano, Asian American, or White. Students who reported high levels of satisfaction with college were those who attended racial/cultural awareness workshops and socialized with someone of a different race/ethnic group. Students from all four groups benefited equally from participating in these workshops. Every group of students was positively affected by faculty's use of instructional methodology that included content on ethnic and racial issues, as well as research or writing addressing women, ethnicity, or race. A college's or university's commitment to increasing their numbers of women and minority faculty and students and commitment to creating a diverse multicultural environment and an appreciation for multiculturalism also had a strong effect on students' satisfaction with college. Environmental measures that demonstrated effects on student satisfaction are also analyzed. (Contains 25 references.) (JDD)

The following papers are included: "Foreword" (Bridget McConnell); "Introduction" (David J. Jones); opening addresses by George Robertson MP, Shadow Scottish Secretary, and by Charlie McConnell, Executive Director, Scottish Community Education Council; and speech by Christine Hamilton, Deputy Director, Scottish Arts Council; "Keynote Speech: Memory and Representation: The Arts & Social Change in South Africa" (Ingrid Fiske); "Keynote Speech: Movements in the Undergrowth" (Paul Nolan); "The Therapeutic Function of Adult Education in the Arts" (Timothy Buell); "The University of the Third Age" (Helen Cairns); "Ethnic Minority Participation in Access to Higher Education Arts Courses" (Margaret Davidson); "A Comparison of How Two Types of Visitors Use Their Own Resources in a Fine Art Museum" (C. Dufresne-Tasse, A. Weltzl-Fairchild); "Self-Direction in Adult Art Education" (Paul J. Edelson); "Dutch Andragogy and Museum Education" (Bastiaan Van Gent); "Theatre Artist & Traditional Entertainers as Adult Educators in Africa--The Sierra Leone Experience" (Charlie Haffner); "Visual Realities: The Creation and Transformation of Meaning through the Visual Arts" (Jacquie Johnson); "Nottinghamshire Next State" (David Johnston); "Significant Connections: How a Supportive Group Fosters Adult Creative Experience" (Carolyn Jongeward); "'The Human Seriousness of Play'--A Proposition for a Neglected Art Form--Mime" (Pat Keysell); "Adult Participation in the Visual Arts--Conservation or Change?" (Kaye Lynch); "Behind the Lines" (Carl MacDougall); "Fife Arts and Crafts Enterprise Training (F.A.C.E.T.)--A Case Study in User Involvement" (Callum McGregor); "A Singular Collaboration, Adult Education, & the National Collection of Modern Art at Tate Gallery, Liverpool: A Study in Practice and Effect" (Anne MacPhee); "'In From the Cold'--Disability Awareness and the Arts in Adult Education" (Jill Maguire); "Cultural Erosion or Empowerment? Arts Development in the Highlands and Island of Scotland?" (Kate Martin); "Museum Studies--Collaboration and Opportunity" (Nicole Mezey); "A Night at the Opera" (Gerald Normie); "Art for Adult and Technology Education" (Kenneth E. Paprock); "Local and Regional Culture in the Czech Republic" (Slavomir Plicka); "If I Can't Dance It's Not My Revolution--Cultural Action in Scottish Communities" (Stan Reeves, Vernon Galloway); "Persuading the Politicians" (Eric Robinson); and "Traditional Song and Artistic Renaissance in the Middle Years" (Sheena Wellington). (MN)

This special supplement presents two background papers, three working papers, and key recommendations from a conference on culture and chronic illness in childhood. The meeting had as its goal the identification of the state of knowledge on the interface among culture, chronic illness, child development, and family functioning, for the purpose of developing "culturally appropriate" health policies, "culturally sensitive" services, and "culturally competent" clinicians. Comments by Robert R. Davila and Merle McPherson and a conference summary by Joan M. Patterson and Robert Wm. Blum precede the papers. The two background papers are: "Ethnocultural Variations in the Prevalence and Impact of Childhood Chronic Conditions" (Paul W. Newacheck et al.) and "Health Insurance Differentials among Minority Children with Chronic Conditions and the Role of Federal Agencies and Private Foundations in Improving Financial Access" (Margaret A. McManus and Paul Newacheck). The three working papers are: (1) "Multiculturalism, Chronic Illness, and Disability" (Nora Ellen Groce and Irving Kenneth Zola); (2) "Culture, Ethnicity, and Bicultural Competence: Implications for Children with Chronic Illness and Disability" (Geraldine Kearse Brookins); (3) "Culture, Ethnicity, and the Family: Critical Factors in Childhood Chronic Illnesses and Disabilities" (Hamilton I. McCubbin et al.). An annotated bibliography of 95 items (compiled by Gayle Geber and Elizabeth Latts) concludes the supplement. (DB)

The theme of the 1996 Public Education Network conference was "Examining the Intersections: Education and Race." From different points of view, speakers examined the need for an ongoing commitment to ensuring equal opportunity and access to learning in all public schools. The first selection is the report of a panel discussion about the role and impact of race on children, teachers, and staff. The following remarks from the panel are presented: (1) "Introductory Remarks" (Amanda Brown); (2) "Institutionalized Violence" (Helen Gym); (3) "Working It Out Together" (Christine Gutierrez); (4) "Please--Just Don't Call Me a Racist" (Beverly Daniel Tatum); (5) "Despair and Hope" (Craig Jerold); and (6) "Expectations and Reactions: Continuing Commentary and Conversation on Race" (panel)."Race: The Challenge for Public Education" by Joseph R. Feagin, the second selection, explores racism as the "fourth R" that must be addressed in building better schools. The next selection, "1996 Election Reflections" by Michael Cohen, considers the impact of the federal election and concludes that whatever the ultimate impact, the basic work of education reform must be done at the local level. The last address, "Race, Conflict and American Citizenship Defined" by Eric Foner, explores American history, the meaning of citizenship, and the importance of recognizing cultural pluralism in the public schools. (SLD)

This collection of papers represents an effort by their writers as a group to develop a multicultural perspective to be used in exploring educational and other issues in diverse contexts. The nine papers include: (1) "Culture, Schooling, and Education in a Democracy" by Victoria R. Fu; (2) "Diversity in America: Historical, Social, and Political Context" by Diane V. Roberts and others (to which is appended a list of historical milestones of multiculturalism); (3) "Responsive Teaching: A Culturally Appropriate Approach" by Andrew J. Stremmel; (4) "Family Diversity and Multicultural Education: Changing Characteristics of Postmodern Families" by Katherine R. Allen; (5) "Weaving Multiculturalism into the Fabric of the Community" by Karen B. DeBord; (6) "Including the Young Child's Emotional Heritage on the Agenda of Multicultural Education" by Mary Cherian; (7) "Multicultural Education in Any Classroom" by T. J. Stone; (8) "Reflections on Multicultural Education" by Janet K. Sawyers; and (9) "Nobody Said It Would Be Easy!" by Ann J. Francis. This last paper discusses some of the difficulties of implementing multicultural education in the classroom and the society. Six of the papers provide reference lists. (BC)