Forest kindergartens are a new idea in the United States but have been around in Germany, Norway, and other European countries for decades. Forest "kindergartens" are preschools for children ages 3-6 and focus on being outdoors and learning through interacting with nature. Instead of building with blocks or doing puzzles at a table…

According to a recent estimate, out of more than four million children between 4 and 6 years of age, less than half a million are enrolled in kindergartens. This condition may be attributed in general to a lack of knowledge of the practical, ethical, and social value of kindergarten education; to the expense of installing a system whose advantages…

Recent critics of community colleges wrongly argue that early junior colleges in California were created not to democratize education, but to keep the university exclusive. The first state junior college law was passed in California in 1907, allowing high schools to offer 2 years of postsecondary work at a time when high schools were not yet…

This bulletin identifies and discusses several outstanding achievements in home-economics education during the biennium. Individual sections explore: (1) Findings of statistical study of home economics in the public high schools; (2) Curriculum making; (3) Child development and parental education, including higher education, secondary education,…

From 1870 to 1975, three types of school administrators were identified: the plateau administrators who remained at initial entry level assignments; vertical aspirants who actively sought advancement; and place-holders who began as vertical aspirants but for one reason or another were placed in non-decision-making positions. (Author/GDC)

A case study of the development of university extension within the University of California is presented. The interplay between the university proper and the extension division is addressed, including official and unofficial statements of functions, goals, and purposes by the university administration and faculty, and the extension staff. An…

Examines the history of California's reading program, reviewing its change to a literature-based approach and then back again to a phonetic- or skill-based one. Reviews key factors influencing California policy and speculates about the future of the state's reading program. (TB)

This study investigated whether Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate holders in two San Francisco, California, Bay Area counties (Contra Costa and Alameda) felt that CDA certification had increased their professional self-esteem and career development within Head Start. It was hypothesized that the higher the teacher's level of formal…

Suggests reasons for the lack of material on Asian-American women in textbooks. Presents a study guide to accompany the film "Sewing Woman," a fictionalized documentary based on a series of Chinese American oral histories and the life of a Chinese garment worker. (DB)

This manual is designed to help educators who serve students with learning handicaps to provide transition assistance for their students graduating or leaving the school system. Definitions and procedures adopted by the state of California are used as the basis for the manual. The manual describes the role of special education, the role of parents…

Citing a number of primary and secondary sources, the legislative and developmental history of the junior college movement in California is examined in this 1964 six-part report. First, a brief introduction presents an overview of the movement's major proponents, and of a 1907 law establishing California's first public junior colleges. The next…

Education's role in the Allensworth Colony (California) is examined between the colony's founding in 1908 and its decline in the early 1920s. Allensworth was established by African Americans as a model community. Implications of the Allensworth experience and Black opposition to a planned segregated polytechnic institute are discussed. (SLD)

This case study traces the evolution of curriculum-related educational reforms in California, concentrating on those that have influenced mathematics and science. These reform efforts are examined in the framework of the state's political and policy context. Data came from interviews, a synthesis of the research literature, and newspaper accounts…

This bulletin demonstrates that Berkeley, California's educational problem is and has been that of meeting the varied needs of a population such as may be found in any typical American city. The varied population needs, together with the rapid growth, have brought many difficult problems to Berkeley, just has they have to other cities. Based on…

In the field of camping and outdoor education, it is essential that public schools be prepared to meet the needs and the demands of the next few years for this important service and take advantage of the almost unlimited possibilities for vitalizing the school curriculum. A few schools have recognized the possibilities of camping and outdoor…