An overview is presented of research studies that reflect the realities that exist in elementary and secondary public education. Explorations of school culture cite behavioral and programmatic regularities that make up the school culture and the importance of school principals' roles. Focusing on the teachers and the ways things actually get done…

On September 30, 1986, 22 educators met in a forum on the Quality of Teaching in Puerto Rico to examine the problem of declining quality in the teaching force. Specifically, participants were concerned about working conditions, preparation, and professional development of teachers. After identifying the causes for the decline of teacher quality in…

The report provides information on the social situation, the family, and the education system in Greece. The social situation is discussed in terms of the Greek political system, forms of society and social stratification, the linguistic situation, religions represented, social life and relationships, and 14 holidays and festivals. Information on…

In 1998, the proportion of full-time faculty at U.S. community colleges was reported to be 36%, versus 64% part time. Adjunct faculty are attractive to community colleges primarily because they provide low-cost labor. The conditions under which many community college adjunct faculty work can contribute to their marginalization as a kind of…

This article considers two policy initiatives that address the dilemma of increasing special education teacher numbers and improving quality: the No Child Left Behind law and the plan laid out in the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future policy blueprint. It then discusses teacher attrition and retainment strategies. (Contains…

This volume contains the appendices for the report on the Teacher Efficacy Study, an investigation of teachers' sense of efficacy and the extent to which teachers believe they can have a positive effect on student learning and achievement. Included in this volume are: (1) middle school site descriptions; (2) the middle school questionnaire; (3)…

This paper contends that the climate or culture of academic science has been chilly to women, ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities. The paper reviews research findings in three areas: (1) numbers of women participating in science education and careers; (2) evidence of precollege patterns for girls and women in science and math; and (3)…

External, employment, and personal factors which influence teacher decisions to stay, leave, or transfer from teaching assignments are discussed, with emphasis on special education teachers. Factors attributed to teacher attrition in urban and rural environments also are briefly reviewed, along with attrition of related services professionals.…

This report is organized around the following themes: (1) supply and demand for quality teachers (scholastic attainments of prospective teachers at the high school and college levels, demographic and social forces having an impact upon the recruitment of qualified students); (2) programs for teacher education (liberal education, subject…

The report provides information on the social situation, the family, and the educational system in Turkey. The social situation is discussed in terms of the history of the Turkish political system, forms of society and social stratification (including causes for migration of Turkish workers abroad), the linguistic situation, religions represented,…

Measures taken to cut costs at the expense of the faculty and the loss in academic quality are shown to be part of a well-organized plan being adopted throughout higher education. Problems have arisen from the activities of the private or semi-private corporate consulting organization in higher education. Taken as a whole, the uncritical use of…

The literature review presented in this paper examined the available research in the area of the rapid burnout of beginning teachers (50 percent of America's beginning public school teachers leave the classroom within their first 7 years of experience and never return to the profession; more than two-thirds of that percentage do so within the…

This paper examines fiscal implications of five 1983 reports that recommend reform of America's schools. Greater rigor in curriculum and textbook content is a common report theme, while three call for specific graduation requirements. Generally, reports recommend increasing time for key courses and requiring regular homework, achievement tests,…