Founded in 1943, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) is an international, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that represents 160,000 educators from more than 135 countries and 66 affiliates. Its members span the entire profession of educators-superintendents, supervisors, principals, teachers, professors of…

Examines the problem of time as it impacts upon art education in the elementary curriculum. Notes that scheduling of time for the arts is inconsistent and allows only superficial study. Urges renewed advocacy upon the part of those concerned with art education, increased pre-service education, and less emphasis upon studio art. (KO)

The system of least prompts, an instructional strategy used with moderately and severely handicapped students, is described. A literature review analyzes the populations for which the procedure has been used, the type of skills that have been taught, the results obtained, and describes specific system parameters used by each author. (Author/VW)

High school physics, if taught properly, should be accessible to 50% of students rather than the currently estimated 20% of students. Suggests changes that need to be made in course format, including giving plenty of problem-solving help, improving high school texts to conform to principles of learning, and designing a course so that all can…

This policy brief, intended for education policymakers, enumerates concerns about literacy which have surfaced in recent years. The brief notes that: (1) American schools have seen enormous changes in student demographics; (2) increased testing of third and fourth graders has provided concrete evidence for what was, in years past, a suspected but…

Offers ideas for asking good questions in the classroom. Recommends that key questions be written down prior to class. Questions should clearly cue students to respond specifically and briefly. Presents examples of types of questions that have been found either to encourage or to inhibit thinking. (JS)

Presents a fictionalized account illustrating the process by which willful states, misguided experts, cunning marketeers, and overworked teachers and administrators produce textbooks that are ill-written, confusing, misleading, and boring. (BJV)

Factors that may affect success in high school or introductory college physics typically include cognitive structure such as formation of problem-solving schemata, visual-spatial abilities, induced cognitive structures of sex roles, and such external factors as teaching style and curriculum. All are important in passing a physics course as…

This document examines the state of the law-related education (LRE) movement, which began about 25 years ago with the efforts of teachers and lawyers who wanted to give greater attention to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Descriptions are given of 10 successful high school LRE programs and 5 supportive national organizations. A 3-year…

Discusses two conceptions of educational achievement: as mastery of basic skills and facts and as mastery of higher order skills and advanced knowledge. Explores the impact of the different conceptions on research topics, the ways teachers think about their teaching, and the public's view of educational goals. Changes in conceptions are discussed.…

This booklet aims to help educators make informed decisions about which students need special language services, what kind of services they should receive, and how well the students and the language program have succeeded. It focuses on the following issues: (1) how the larger social context affects teachers' decisions and students' success; (2)…

Addresses key factors that influence the academic and social performance of minority and at-risk youth, including lack of role models, societal expectations and realities, ineffective practices, and patterns of school organization. The article provides suggestions for what teachers can do and what schools can do through staff development. (SM)

This paper describes the current debate over developmentally appropriate teaching practice. The paper presents the perspective of multicultural educators, who argue that developmentally appropriate practice is biased toward white, middle-class values, and the perspective of special educators, who argue that modification of developmentally…

Individual states' educational policy reforms in the 1980s were aimed at improving the quality of both science education and mathematics education in elementary and secondary schools. Many states have raised standards for teacher certification, increased course requirements for graduation, revised state curriculum frameworks, and established new…