Discusses the potential impact that the America 2000 reform effort might have on social studies and citizenship education. Argues that the preoccupation of America 2000 and the business community is short-sighted. Calls for social studies educators to recommit themselves. (CF)

Reviews the history of the concept of equal educational opportunity, noting the shift from a separate-but-equal input definition to an opportunity-to-learn process interpretation. Also discussed are implications of the definition of opportunity to learn for professional development and the education of African-American students. (SLD)

Policy concerning faculty training and development in Estonian universities is examined, looking at current practices in comparison with those of the former Soviet Union. It is argued that since democratization there is little effort and some resistance to faculty renewal, despite new labels given to academic qualifications. University…

Provides a historical overview of the prerevolutionary Russian government's attempts at youth vocational education. Although the people favored these efforts, political opposition often weakened the policy. Entrepreneurial vocational schools and school/business cooperative efforts flourished in this environment. Briefly discusses selected schools…

This article describes critical events that have shaped gifted education, including: psychometrically-based pedagogy, the space race, the civil rights movement, passage of special education legislation, changing concepts of intelligence, brain based research, curriculum differentiation, the inclusion model of instruction, and funding of gifted…

When trying to explain the discrepancy between the numbers of white students in gifted education programs and the number of culturally diverse students in gifted education programs, it becomes apparent that there are multiple factors at play with the most prominent one being the identification process. Most districts begin the identification…

While most child development experts acknowledge there is no universally agreed upon definition of children's play, there is general agreement that a lack of play, commonly known as "play deprivation" in play theories and research, can greatly stifle the child's normal healthy development. Therefore, the need for daily play experiences and daily…

This article profiles the educational system of Ontario and discusses initiatives for students who are at-risk. It describes programs and services for students who are at-risk, relevant educational legislation, areas of strength, challenges that need to be overcome, and areas of action. Individual Education Plans are discussed. (Contains…

Teachers in Ireland fear that benchmarking in the context of the present review of pay and conditions for all public service workers camouflages a shift of concern away from the development of the individual student to concern for the quality of the educational process provided by schools. A recent dispute between secondary teachers and the Irish…

This paper describes the advancements that have occurred in the use of educational technologies over the past ten years (1995-2005) and argues that progress has been slow and reminiscent of the slow progress observed in the previous decade (1985-1995). The paper argues that one of the principal reasons for the less than spectacular results stems…

Ethiopia is a nation of more than 70 million people characterized by diverse ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups. Since the early 1990s Ethiopia has entered into the process of transformation towards a more civil society. This transformational process has led to numerous socioeconomic and political policy reforms. Central to reforms in the…

This article is an analysis of the current state of early childhood care in the Maghreb, in particular in Morocco and Algeria, where the pre-schooling rate for 5-year-olds is on the increase. Extending pre-school infrastructures and the need to create unified curricula have been among the most urgent questions to be tackled over the last decade in…

This article considers the position of religion in schools in England and Wales in light of the recent decision in "The Queen on the application of SB v Headteacher and Governors of Denbigh High School". This held that the refusal to allow a pupil to wear the jilbab was a breach of her rights under the European Convention for the…

This essay focuses on the formative years of the Citizenship Training Program as a Highlander project in the Charleston area. Informally known as Citizenship Schools, this adult education program began in 1958 under the sponsorship of Tennessee's Highlander Folk School, which handed over to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in…

This study investigated one school district's transition from a junior model to a middle school philosophy. Numerous documents were examined and individual interviews and focus group discussions were analyzed to reconstruct the process and strategies used to facilitate the institutionalization of this complex change effort. Participant voices…