Students, parents, and teachers of today should know full well that even a whole phalanx of educational reforms does not automatically prevail over the social bigotries that persist from the past. This paper provides an uncomfortable reminder of how the democratic purposes of U.S. education must be sustained not only by court decisions and…

Argues that equal educational opportunity has never been realized nationally or internationally. Suggests that the degree of selection is higher in Germany and other German-speaking countries than elsewhere. Concludes that exceptional curricular and structural factors in Bielefeld's experimental Oberstufen-Kolleg helped achieve equal educational…

The author examines concerns about whether or not, and by what criteria, handicapped students should be included in or excluded from comprehensive competency testing programs, as well as the implications of minimum competency testing for the handicapped. Pertinent legislation from several states is discussed. (Author/SJL)

This booklet looks at selected recent court cases dealing with a number of questions regarding P.L. 94-142 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: (1) What is meant by "free appropriate" education? (2) Which services are considered "related services" and thus obligatory upon schools? (3) What procedural protections…

Discussed is the nature of the classroom experience in the United States for girls including teaching methods and assessment. A brief analysis of the problem is presented. Six specific suggestions for improving instruction for girls are included. (CW)

These 12 essays provide insights into how racism demoralizes and debilitates the confidence of all Canadians affected in the educational milieu, especially the young. The writers all unmistakably signal the challenge for change and a renewed commitment to justice and equality. Essays include: (1) "There is a Better Canadian Answer"…

An insider/outsider approach to Appalachian culture examines cultural differences of Appalachian people that necessitate cross-cultural educational studies usually reserved for ethnic and racial minority groups. An overview focuses on current economic conditions affecting the region's culture and some stereotypes of Appalachians that remain…

While the largest growth in the college-age population (i.e., 18 to 24 year olds) is among minority group members, the largest decline in college-going rates is among minorities. Because of poor academic preparation, rising tuition rates, and declining financial aid resources, the community college has become the college of necessity, rather than…

Both Women's Studies courses and the mainstreaming of Women's Studies material within the regular disciplines are essential pedagogical strategies for making curriculum responsive to the gendered context of schools, but it is also important to formulate a gender-fair model of education. After explaining the need for and benefits of gender-fair…

Assessment of Hopwood v Texas ruling on admissions at West Texas A&M University finds it has had little effect on that institution. The school stepped up recruitment efforts, targeting high schools with diverse populations. Additionally, the state's "10 percent" rule automatically made the top 10% percent of graduating students…

This paper explicates methods to motivate African American students to exhibit attitudes and behaviors that are conducive to high academic achievement. In particular, it argues that educational models must acknowledge and correct students' sense of academic futility. Academic futility measures student perceptions of the extent to which factors in…

A collection of essays presents the updated positions of nine critics of the community college who from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s participated in a debate with two-year college proponents over many of the fundamental assumptions of the community college movement. The volume contains: (1) "From Mass to Class in Higher Education," by…

Criticizes Charles Murray's "The Bell Curve" and attempts a more cogent analysis of the respective roles of blacks and the U.S. political economy. Utilizes a sociology of knowledge framework to discuss the evolving nature of blacks in the nation's workforce. Briefly discusses eugenics and the history of racist social theories. (MJP)

Working toward the creation of a truly equitable human society demands that school administrators (1) become aware of ways in which educational systems currently collaborate in maintaining inequitable societies and (2) work to change the structures that serve the status quo into structures that support cooperative change. One major task is to…

Utilizes critical reaction to the book, "A Philosophy of Music Education," as a framing device to discuss feminist theory and music education philosophy. Maintains that critical criteria drawn from a specific political agenda, and applied to apolitical subjects, accomplishes little more than politicized rhetoric. (MJP)