This digest examines the demographic composition of the U.S. school-age population, and derives an estimate of 1.4 million children with disabilities who are minority group members. The digest notes the purposes of multicultural education for all students and stresses the teacher's role in recognizing forms of bias in textbooks and other…

This digest summarizes issues raised in a research report on the academic rank of the emeritus professorship and retirement. Among the questions addressed are: What prompts an interest in the emeritus status? What trends presage its restructuring? What changes in the emeritus rank are likely? How might a new emeritus rank help solve problems of…

This Digest recounts the varied experiences, for both elementary school students and teachers, of producing a classroom newspaper. In the particular instance discussed in the Digest, for the students, it was a chance to collaborate with their peers, to pursue their own special interests, and to see their work published. For the teacher-adviser, it…

Presents an annotated bibliography of ERIC documents and journals discussing issues related to implementing total quality management (TQM) principles in middle level education. Topics include guidelines for implementation, profiles of schools demonstrating TQM principles, and efforts in other fields. Journal article topics include TQM in school…

This Digest discusses the role of the school, the community, and teacher preparation programs in alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) prevention among adolescents. It proposes that a comprehensive drug abuse prevention curriculum should incorporate: (1) normative education to help students realize that use of ATOD is not the norm for…

This digest, in question and answer format, summarizes what is known about effective ways to provide fully educational services for gifted students in the regular classroom. The following questions are addressed: What are the steps to full service? (educators need to plan environments in which all students can fully develop their abilities and…

This digest summarizes what is known about developing desired educational outcomes and anticipated time frames in specialized programs for students who are gifted. Learner outcomes are defined and characteristics of appropriate ones outlined. Next, the importance of identifying specific learner goals and outcome indicators is explained with…

Two factors contributing to the change in writing instruction have been (1) the research investigating the way writing is taught and (2) the computer. Proponents of the various writing models endorse writing as an ongoing, multi-stage process, with equal emphasis given to each of the stages. Educational computing has undergone a change of focus…

This ERIC digest looks at how college faculty can use cooperative learning principles to ensure that students actively create their own knowledge and work together to achieve shared learning goals. The first section describes cooperative learning and recommends training professors to apply an overall system to build cooperative activities,…

Self-directed learning has been a high-interest topic within the field of adult education for the last decade. The following are among suggestions writers have made about how adult educators can best facilitate self-directed learning: (1) encourage learners to appreciate that they can act on their world individually or collectively to transform…

Being an effective vocational teacher today means having knowledge and/or experience in four areas: a specific skill area; instructional planning, implementation, and evaluation; classroom and laboratory management; and occupational experience. Tomorrow's vocational teachers will need to be competent in all of these areas, but they will also need…

This Digest reviews the literature on the subject of teaching English and language arts to gifted and talented students. It discusses how to identify gifted students, outlines some key principles for developing effective programs in English and language arts for the gifted, and suggests possible methods of evaluating gifted students and programs.…

When considering the role of technology in adult learning, adult educators must determine how to respond to technology and exploit it without diminishing the learning experience. Four approaches to integrating technology into adult learning are currently being used: technology as curriculum (adults not only learn content through technology but…

The Japanese success story has made W. Edwards Deming's Total Quality Management (TQM) theory increasingly popular among American managers, from car manufacturers to educational leaders. TQM is based on two tenets: the primacy of customer satisfaction and the necessity of tapping nontraditional sources (especially employee ideas) to institute…

The role of the school in the prevention of and intervention in child sexual abuse is examined in this digest. Information is provided on factors that affect recognition and reporting by school personnel; potential indicators of child sexual abuse, both behavioral and physical; issues related to allegations involving school employees; the…