Three educational malpractice cases and the issues arising from them are examined in this article. The cases are examined in terms of whether school administrators, teachers, and guidance counselors owe a legal duty to students to exercise the ordinary skill and competence of a reasonable and prudent member of their profession; whether educators…

This third in a four-part series on why academic achievement gaps exist explains how U.S. Department of Defense schools for children of military families offer lessons on how to raise academic achievement among minority students. Minority students in these schools do better than their counterparts almost anywhere in the United States on…

This theme issue of "Update on Gifted Education" brings together accounts of diverse efforts being made to encourage excellence and equity in schools. A dialogue with Lionel R. Meno, Commissioner of Education in Texas, stresses how services for gifted students fit into the larger picture of addressing the needs of all students, examines…

This newsletter contains five articles on the implications of school choice for minority and disadvantaged students. "School Choice: Choices for Whom? Promises and Panaceas," by Maria Robledo Montecel, discusses some major problems related to school choice and vouchers, particularly who would have the choice (families or schools), who…

This publication presents an introduction,"New Frontiers for a New Century: A National Overview" (Kati Haycock), which announces a new, online, interactive database of national educational records and discusses the importance of making necessary changes in education. This requires that educators, policymakers, and advocates receive solid…

Each year, African American high school students in grades 11 and 12 take the College Board/Educational Testing Service Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations. Large numbers of these students are not successful. Nationally, African Americans take a total of 13,844 examinations and 5,447 qualify for advanced placement. This means that 61 percent of…

After a period of striving for equal educational opportunity and progress toward that goal, American society is now shifting toward more emphasis on educational quality. However, some fear that the rise of Minimum Competency Testing (MCT) may hinder rather than help minority students' opportunities for equal education. Despite gains in the number…

This newsletter issue focuses on the issue of recommended instructional and curriculum changes that are part of the current reforms in science education. The issue is composed of four articles. The first article, "Science Education: Schools Pushed To Broaden Access, Overhaul Practice," discusses the call for a science curriculum that…

Two problems confront the school-to-work (STW) transition initiative: the quality of STW transitions and the equity with which those experiences are distributed among different student groups, including those with disabilities. In the past, the goals of equity and quality seemed to conflict. Many persons advocating increases in quality appeared to…

This second in a four-part series on why academic achievement gaps exist notes that standard explanations for why minority students trail behind non-Hispanic whites are not good enough, suggesting that no single explanation for the gap exists, but instead a multitude of factors are influential. Poverty, though not the single most important cause,…

The project entitled "A Study of Schooling" went to 7 regions in the U.S. to collect data on 13 widely representative elementary schools and the 25 junior and senior high schools they feed. School board members, administrators, 17,000 students, 8,500 parents, and 1,350 teachers were interviewed or responded to questionnaires. Over 1,000…

Although the general thrust of recent education reports and studies--to strengthen the academic quality of secondary education--has been salutary, efforts fall short of giving clear direction for school improvement in a number of areas particularly important to urban school superintendents. The reports fail to recognize the unique context of urban…

This report summarizes the latest available statistics on international achievements in child survival, health, nutrition, education, water and sanitation, and the plight of women. Each section contains a commentary, related statistics, and a discussion on progress and disparity in the section's particular area. Following a foreword by United…

This newsletter includes six articles that examine key issues facing public schools and communities related to accountability, bilingual education, immigrant education, school finance, and school choice. In addressing these issues, articles focus on the importance of community involvement and input in local school reform efforts aimed at achieving…

These three volumes contain articles related to (1) improving educational productivity (lessons from economics); (2) school-to-work (STW); and (3) reduced class size, offering recommendations from national invitational conferences. Topics include making schools work; tax revolts and school performance; market pressure and the impact on…