This digest provides a review of the research literature on assessment of the effectiveness of higher education in producing graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary for well-educated citizens today. Major findings are grouped as answers or partial answers to the following nine questions: (1) "what are the critical competencies and…

Results of national studies suggest that for girls, the middle grades can be a time of significant decline in self-esteem and academic achievement. Reasons for this decline are not clearly indicated by research, but it is likely that multiple factors are involved. One factor is the preferential treatment boys receive in the classroom.…

This educator-oriented handbook by "Virtual Dave" provides an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand guide to the Internet: what it is; how it works; and how one gets there. The book covers the basics of the Internet, with simple and concise explanations geared toward classroom teachers and school library media specialists. Each chapter…

This report provides a comprehensive review of quality principles in higher education and proposes that, when used holistically and systematically, the quality principles, also known as total quality management and continuous quality improvement, can create a culture for academic excellence. After an introduction, the first section explains the…

This digest examines the relationship between elementary and secondary teachers' use of computer-based technologies to deliver and support classroom instruction and the training provided to prospective teachers by teacher education institutions. It offers an overview of obstacles faced by teacher educators in providing appropriate technology…

Economic pressures, work force diversity, and advances in technology are changing the nature of work and organizational policy and management. A predicted decline in the annual growth in gross national product is expected to trigger a slowdown in the labor force, especially in occupations that employ workers with only a high school education.…

This digest discusses some of the major trends and issues found in a systematic content review of the professional literature of library and information science. Two "megatrends" are identified and discussed: (1) the concern for the impact of technology upon every facet of library work, in academic, school, public, and special libraries;…

The "revolving door syndrome" refers to the ease with which students are able to enroll in community colleges and the equal ease with which they can drop out. In addition to traditional retention strategies, such as assessment, placement, orientation and advising, innovative approaches have been implemented at five community colleges…

This document presents three papers on multicultural education in early childhood, followed by a selected ERIC bibliography on the same subject. The first paper, "Multicultural Approaches in Education: A German Experience," by Carmen Treppte, describes the development of Turkish Children and Mothers, a project designed to help…

Written entirely by Native authors, this book addresses some critical issues in the education of American Indian and Alaska Native students. Intended for college classrooms, it aims to fill a void in the literature and textbooks used in multicultural and teacher education programs. The book has four sections: the past and present foundations of…

The National Career Development Guidelines provide a comprehensive program that will lead students of all ages through a sequential process of career development. The guidelines contain 12 competencies that relate to 3 areas of career development--self-knowledge, educational and occupational exploration, and career planning. Splete and Stewart…

This brief report summarizes a longer document with the same title. The report discusses the response of colleges and universities in the United States to the needs of graduate students to become equipped to make personal and and public policy decisions as citizens of an international society. It notes that curriculum changes in higher education…

This book debates the values being taught in American public schools. The book considers whether moral, ethical, social, and religious values of any kind should be taught or inculcated in the public school setting--specifically, should the values embodied in the literature typically read in English literature classrooms be advocated by the…

Preschool programs can and should be designed to incorporate comprehensive health and physical education. This monograph presents information which is useful to adults interested in increasing their knowledge of health, movement, and physical education as these areas relate to young children. The publication is organized into 14 chapters as…

This report discusses the response of colleges and universities in the United States to the need of graduate students to become equipped to make personal and public policy decisions as citizens of an international society. Curriculum changes are showing a tightening of foreign language standards in schools of higher education and, throughout the…