Educators and legislators tend to have differing impressions of the definition of educational quality. Components of quality can be classified into three categories: (1) input, e.g., student characteristics, such as grade point average and test scores, and faculty characteristics, such as advanced degrees and publications; (2) environment/process,…

Since issuance of the report, "A Nation at Risk," the quality and quantity of school/community-business partnerships have grown tremendously. These partnerships already are involved with bringing about and sustaining excellence in education and can become more so. Such relationships can enhance student learning and development and can also reap…

This issue of "Focus" includes nine essays addressing various concerns related to curriculum, theory, research, teaching strategies, student and faculty issues, and other matters pertinent to the Utah community colleges. The issue contains: (1) "Comment: Making Quality 'Job One' in the Community College," by Don A. Carpenter;…

Four kinds of measures of excellence are currently used in evaluating vocational education: components and process, occupational impact, equity, and individual student development. None of them displays the kind of precision that characterizes measures in the physical sciences. Furthermore, the nature of the enterprise to which these measures must…

Examines the basis for the concern about the current status of science education and reviews several factors relevant to determining how serious the concern is. These factors are related to economic (utilitarian), cultural, and personal areas. (Author/JN)

Outlines research on how expert teachers function in the classroom. Shows the structure of an expert teacher's lessons and how she handles content in the teaching of mathematics. The studies suggest that content knowledge is critical and that expert teachers manage time and academic engagement equally well. (MD)

Concerns with teacher education extend to program quality, professional credibility, and utilization of research. This article suggests that university- and school-based teacher educators increase their role in research utilization and development activities and establish school-university networks to sustain these efforts. (DF)

Cooperating teachers were observed to find out what motivated them to serve as essentially uncompensated volunteers. This study found that, aside from financial rewards, incentives included status recognition and input and control in the teacher education process. Results are presented. (DF)

Reviews the creation and recommendations of the National Institute of Education report, "Involvement in Learning: Realizing the Potential of American Higher Education." Identifies signals warning of future problems for community colleges. Discusses recommendations for improving undergraduate education through increased student…

Discussed are two main concerns of Zoltan Kodaly, the developer of the Kodaly method of teaching music: the caliber of musical training and how professional musicians are trained. Kodaly felt strongly that only the best musicians should be teaching in the schools. (RM)

Reviews changes in the community college movement, citing a 20-year history of teaching excellence as its greatest contribution and the failure to pursue scholarship in an orderly, systematic manner as its greatest flaw. Offers faculty members reasons, suggestions, and cautions regarding engagement in scholarship and research. (LAL)

Presents a preliminary report of the Quality of Engineering Education Project Task Force on Continuing Professional Development of Engineering Faculty, discussing responsibilities of engineering faculty and current approaches and effective faculty development. Also considers responsibilities of recommendations related to individual engineering…

Reviews the current status of educational software. Only a small percentage of programs available is of high quality. The potential of educational computing is at a crucial juncture during the next two years. (MD)

Reviews the history of the two teachers' unions, presenting the differences and rivalry between the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. Details their differing responses to the current "excellence" movement. (MD)

Attracting top teachers to small school systems involves a different recruiting process: advertise widely, use telephone contacts, get there first, don't overweight interviews, do classroom observations, and keep up personal contact. (MD)