An analysis of the trend in teaching African languages as a second or foreign language (AFL2) looks at patterns in the objectives of AFL2, teachers and learners, and instructional environments. Three basic program objectives in AFL2 are distinguished: language proficiency (basic conversation); language competence (close to native skills); and…

The elementary and secondary education data collection system has undergone a major transformation over the past decade, becoming a coordinated, cohesive system. This report reviews what the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) can and cannot say about education in the United States for kindergarten through grade 12. Six issue areas…

Two programs on drug, alcohol, and sex education in two Glasgow (Scotland) high schools were evaluated to assess their effectiveness. One was a drugs and alcohol education program at City High School and the other a sexual health program at Clydeside High School. Both schools drew from a local population that included a significant number of…

This report documents the experiments by the Getty Center for Education in the Arts to research and develop content and teaching practices in school visual arts programs. An 18-month Rand Corporation study, begun in 1982, investigated discipline based art education (DBAE) visual arts programs in 7 cross country school districts. The study's two…

Rather than providing an anthology of tests and assessment techniques, this book focuses on academic success and its maintenance and the role of testing. The discussion opens with a consideration of the relationship between assessment and curriculum. It is important to consider carefully what it is we want to teach, and it is equally important to…

This project was commissioned to investigate ways in which schools can include the cultural activities and symbols of young people--musical interests in particular--in the design and implementation of a music curriculum. The resulting report is divided into three sections. First is a literature review that focuses on the musical interests of youth…

Interpreting, or oral translation, deals exclusively and intensively with language in action. The process develops and exercises intellectual, personal, and linguistic skills. However, its introduction into second language curricula would require changing expectations and strategies. The syllabus for a course component in interpreting should have…

Recognizing that similar approaches to moral education operate differently in different school settings, this paper assesses the methods and impact of a moral education course (Skills for Ethical Action, SEA) in six junior high school settings. SEA is an instructional program designed to teach seventh, eighth, and ninth grade students a…

Examination of selected national and state level career education curriculum development projects provided the basis for consideration and comparison of major strategies used in deriving curriculum content. Those found most useful included the theoretical base, philosophical base, introspection, function approach, task analysis, Delphi approach,…

Undergraduate students majoring in Islamic Studies at the women's colleges in Saudi Arabia need to take an English-for-Specific-Purposes (ESP) course each year of the B.A. program. The material for all four courses was developed in-house by a group of instructors at those colleges. An examination of the course material in general and reading…

This article describes a train-the-trainers course that provided training in sound instructional strategies to 10 assistive technology specialists who work with people who are visually impaired. Topics included conducting assessments, writing training proposals, developing the curriculum, planning lessons, and analyzing learning styles. All…

Explores the need for teachers to examine their orientations toward and methods of teaching public speaking to African Americans and other students of color. Ways in which public speaking courses can be reshaped to be more inclusive of the learning and expressive styles of such students are discussed. (SLD)

This report documents the status of professional development and training for school personnel who work with students with disabilities in Alberta (Canada). A comprehensive review of postsecondary programs and courses was undertaken to determine required and optional courses containing special education content. Advocacy groups/associations were…

This paper traces the history and development of Yupik, the first language for almost 14,000 Native Alaskans, and reports findings of the Bilingual/Bicultural Needs Assessment survey conducted in 1983. Yupik remains one of the strongest Native American languages, despite historical factors that have increased English usage among Native Alaskans.…

As more and more of its graduates became employed in training and development in business and industry, rather than in instructional systems development in the public schools, the Instructional Systems Technology (IST) progam at Indiana University decided to conduct a needs assessment to determine how its programs could better prepare its…