Given the need for school administrators to exercise fiscal restraint and pare down expenses before recommending tax increases, this article provides information concerning trends in class size, school building renovation, energy economies, teacher and administrator layoffs, and state budgets. (MLH)

Problems relating to school environment and building concerns eat up school budgets and negatively influence the overall fiscal condition of school districts. The article examines three issues impacting on school finance for the 1990s: environmental hazards (asbestos, radon, lead, electromagnetic fields, and air quality), school infrastructure…

New research on teaching involves qualitative, or ethnographic, methods. It is highly descriptive and often relies on narrative inquiry, which is embedded with messages about power, justice, and inequality. The new research relies on language and dialogue, using metaphors, stories, biographies, autobiographies, conversations, exemplars,…

Explains and contrasts the techniques and philosophies of norm-referenced (NRT) and criterion-referenced tests (CRT). NRTs are criticized for lack of useful information and control. CRTs are usually teacher-made and customized to fit the classroom needs, offering more control over test content, but few teachers are prepared to develop them. (SM)

Due to the diversity of compensatory education programs and to disparities in their goals and administration, it is difficult to evaluate their effectiveness. Educational reformers are faced with a political dilemma generated by their inability to show that schools and programs have a positive impact on target students. (Author/GC)

Sex differences in ability and achievement appear to be diminishing, but considerable controversy exists about their role in mathematics achievement. Standardized test data on reading and mathematics achievement by sex and age are analyzed. Possible effects of biological factors are also discussed, along with information about educational and…

The author reviews literature on teacher surplus since 1968 and projects that by 1985 there will be a teacher surplus of 800,000. He suggests there are advantages to such surplus but concludes that prospective teachers should analyze their choice carefully, and experienced teachers may face new tensions and trials. (KC)

Presents information on trends in school district size, briefly considers the relationship between school size and student performance, discusses the rationale and consequences of consolidation of small and rural schools, and briefly outlines positive views on small schools. (IAH)

Motivation research emphasizes importance of encouraging students to take responsibility for their performance. Academic achievement is matter of wanting to achieve, focusing on task, and believing in oneself. Teachers can encourage student self-regulation by ensuring that students understand expectations; creating a comfortable, orderly…

Contemporary society is facing rapid and fundamental changes, and educators must take the lessons of the past and shape a plan for the future. This article traces curriculum trends from the late nineteenth century to the present, showing how the aims of education adapted to the changing conditions and social forces. (DCS)

Summarizes the contents of 13 national commission reports from the 1960s to the 1990s, highlighting recent trends in course and graduation requirements, grade inflation, achievement test scores, international comparisons, functional illiteracy figures, and school demography. An education policy that invests in human capital and productivity and…

The crisis in urban schools involves an exodus of white middle class families from the city or to private schools and a build-up of educationally disadvantaged minority students. Enrollment trends indicate that, unless appropriate action is taken, public schools will further deteriorate as they house fewer middle class students. (SM)

Examines advantages and disadvantages of using textbooks as the basis for curriculum and instruction, discussing textbooks as the predominant instructional medium. The article describes attributes of good textbooks and text structures, identifies strategies for improving readers' text comprehension, and notes teachers' role as facilitators in…

Superintendents' attitudes toward community participation in and control of curriculum issues in relation to the current demands for a broad base in school decision-making are examined. It is hypothesized that superintendents will differ in their attitudes on participation and control in four areas of school decision-making. Certain…

After presenting an overview of metropolitan schools, described as not successful in providing an adequate education for economically disadvantaged students, the authors examine four critical issues: compensatory education, educational accountability, decentralization and community control, and desegregation. While compensatory education has not…