Analysis of the Supreme Court's 1982 decision in "Board of Education of Hendrick Hudson Central School District versus Rowley" suggests that the more recent and more liberal interpretation requiring educational programs to confer some meaningful benefit is in keeping with Congress's and the Court's original intent. (DB)

This book focuses on the Wannsee Conference (Berlin, Germany, 1943) where Germany's "learned men" gathered to work out a "final solution" for the Jewish "problem." It addresses the issue of what had gone wrong with the education system when the men attending this conference (who had received its highest degrees) could…

This paper addresses societal transformations and higher education's response to these changes and argues that a much larger and deeper change is occurring which should be examined within the context of a paradigm shift. The paper begins with a brief review of the theoretical literature on paradigms; then it demonstrates the use of these…

Reauthorization of the Vocational Education Act is being considered at a time when technological developments are changing the skill requirements of the labor force. The challenge of training and retraining must be met by a partnership of the governmental, business, and educational sectors. A federal leadership role is crucial in guiding…

Although the American work force is generally better educated than ever before, the general productivity of American workers continues to drop. This trend indicates that too many people are unable to cope with the demands placed on them to organize, evaluate, and communicate information to each other. In order to better prepare citizens for life…

The context for considering faculty career vitality is addressed. It is suggested that the unit of study should be individual, and that both internal and external influences should be considered. A contrasting view is that the institution should be the unit of study. A Pennsylvania State University study revealed that faculty career decisions were…

A discussion is presented of Hispanic community college students and the prospects and problems related to their transfer to four-year institutions and progress toward the baccalaureate degree. First, the question of Hispanic student transfer rates is placed in the context of community college enrollment/transfer patterns in general and Hispanic…

The recent shift away from traditional liberal education to vocational training is examined, along with the effects this trend may have on the United States. After a preliminary review in Chapter 1, "American Higher Education: Recent History and Present Condition," Chapter 2, "How Well-Educated Are the American People?" examines past trends in…

Education research is, or should be, the systematic investigation and solution of critically important problems affecting what and how children learn. This is a complex undertaking, given the size and complexity of American education. Critically important educational problems can be dealt with by supporting a systematic, national effort to examine…

These seven discussion papers present the views of two classroom teachers, two superintendents, a state Parent Teacher Association president, an elementary school principal, and a state school board member on the roles and responsibilities of parents, teachers, principals, the business community, and government in improving public education. The…

Currently there is a growing realization that the schools are only one part of a larger network of learning environments important to effective education. Six societal conditions have encouraged a dialogue that is redefining the role of the school: the fragmented associations among all the educating institutions (family, mass media, schools, peer…

Two major issues in inservice teacher education are: (1) Who is responsible for teaching these professional education courses?; and (2) Are these courses worthy of graduate credit? College faculty members generally agree that institutions of higher learning are obligated to assist practitioners, but universities have been reluctant to offer…

This paper discusses what colleges and universities can do to improve the capacity of the public schools to deliver quality education in social studies and other areas to America's children. The quality of public education can be improved by changing the system for delivering education and by improving the quality of teaching. Colleges and…

Job creation properly researched and developed can help vitalize vocational education for educators, their students, and the community. The migration of employers from the inner cities to outlying areas over the past few years has created a wasteland within our cities. To help rectify this situation, vocational education needs to start preparing…

Administrative steps necessary to provide needed educational programs for transitional students (students who have been declassified and are no longer eligible for special education programing) are discussed. The administrative steps include recognizing the new subpopulation of students, arranging for the gradual transfer of students from special…