A history of peace education is presented. To be effective, peace education must focus on a specific goal, avoid the temptation to become all things to all people, and retain a critical edge. It must not become so engrossed in classroom questions that it ignores the need for political action. (RM)

The increasing use of test results as a mechanism of educational reform is diminishing local control of schools and changing the curriculum to train students to pass tests rather than to educate students. (MLF)

Provides results of an in-depth case analysis of Miami-Dade Community College, using the Roueche-Baker Community College Excellence Model. Focuses on situational leadership, systems for success, student-oriented teaching, student success, and institutional climate and culture. (AYC)

The main components of Japan's educational system are the Ministry of Education, an active teachers' union, and a national college-entrance examination underwritten by education-conscious parents. These components create stability and efficiency in Japan's schools, which play a key role in today's high-tech age just as they did in postwar…

The quality of U.S. higher education as described in three early nineteenth century reports are reviewed and compared with similar recent reports in substance and approach. (MSE)

According to the assistant secretary of the U. S. Department of Education, unsolved problems facing the educational excellence movement include lack of educational performance data, shifts in curriculum content, expected shortage of qualified teachers, and lack of training standards for educational leaders. A critique by the Minneapolis…

The large-scale employment of part-time faculty in community colleges has serious costs for institutions (e.g., part-timers lack the time/training required to plan and review their work, plot long-term teaching strategies, and participate in departmental governance) and part-time instructors (e.g., undesirable schedules, lack of job security, and…

The idea of certifying teachers without methods courses and student teaching is being proposed in some states. Music educators must initiate reform in the training of music teachers before those outside the field do it. Ways that individual music teacher educators can improve the training of music education majors are discussed. (RM)

Recognition of the significance of early years has heightened interest and support for early childhood programs. Prevention steps designed to reduce the number of children who arrive at school with inadequate literacy-related knowledge would considerably reduce the number of children with reading difficulties. While there is great potential for…

This action plan provides information on improving the quality of education offered to teachers and school leaders, reporting the results of a task force study which found that: student success depends mainly on teacher quality; the essential competencies of effective teachers are command of the subject, preparation in effective pedagogical…

This guide is intended to answer the questions that literacy practitioners might have about the Accountability Framework and the Core Quality Standards approved by the Ontario Training and Adjustment Board (OTAB). Section I provides a background to development of the framework and standards. Section II focuses on what an accountability framework…

This guide provides practical support for teachers as they tackle the challenges of planning and implementing lessons, units, and assessments that energize student learning and progress toward standards. Section 1, "Gathering Materials," provides the basic materials for approaching standards-based learning (definitions of key terms, grade-cluster…

"Taking the Lead" is an initiative of The Center for Career Development in Early Care and Education at Wheelock College, working in partnership with other national organizations and government policymakers. The initiative is intended to build the capacity of the early care and education field to improve program quality by: (1) improving…

Only half of our nation's minority students graduate from high school along with their peers. For many groups--Latino, black, or Native American males--graduation rates are even lower. As states hasten to institute higher standards and high-stakes tests in the effort to raise student achievement, this situation is likely to worsen, particularly…

Discusses use of undergraduate student teaching assistants (UTAs) as a cost-effective solution to problems created by large enrollments at the University of Massachusetts (Mechanical Engineering Department). UTAs' responsibilities/duties, benefits (including savings of faculty salary/time), and educational quality in large classes (with UTAs)…