Most children in the U.S. spend time in some form of early childhood education (ECE) program prior to entering kindergarten. In fact, children spend an average of 25 hours per week in nonparental care, including center-based care and informal family, friend and neighbor care. Children develop a foundation for learning during these early years, so…

This study provides a comparative analysis of the pre-service education system for preschool educators in China and the United States. Based on collected data and materials (literature, policy documents, and statistical data), we compare two areas of pre-service training: (1) the formal system; (2) the informal system. In the formal system, most…

Although U.S. high school students' access to Earth and space science (ESS) varies widely from state to state, nationally, ESS content is the most neglected area of science education and scientific literacy. States have been considering whether they will formally adopt, or less formally adapt, the new national science education standards, the Next…

This article reports the results of an inquiry into the dynamics of principal selection in rural school districts in two mid-American states with high numbers of rural schools. The study focuses on two questions: (1) are rural school districts experiencing a shortage of qualified applicants for vacant principal's positions; and (2) what…

Of 35 secondary agriculture instructors in Nebraska (of 40 surveyed), most rated themselves above average in competence in 40 of 50 lab management competencies. Highest ratings were for operating within budget, lowest for computerization. The 10 below average competencies highlight areas to emphasize in preservice and inservice education. (SK)

A survey of 983 special education teachers in Nebraska found that almost one third taught health education to students with disabilities, however, many of these teachers did not perceive themselves as being adequately prepared or confident in their ability to address health education issues related to students with disabilities. (Author/CR)

Both observations and studies of speech education in Nebraska secondary schools revealed an inadequacy in speech curricula and many poorly prepared teachers. In order to assess the status of speech education, in-depth questionnaires were sent to teachers of speech in metropolitan Omaha, with shorter questionnaires being sent to speech teachers…

A survey developed by a task force composed of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators and the Nebraska Association of School Boards was completed by 226 school superintendents, mostly from rural districts. The respondents reported that 801 administrators were employed in their districts and supplied estimates of retiring administrators. An…

Of 239 Nebraska school board presidents surveyed, 68 percent had experienced a critical incident with their superintendents. The most frequently cited incidents involved communications or human relations (37 percent), followed by staffing issues (15 percent), and ethics (11 percent). Over half of the incidents resulted in superintendent…

The job satisfaction and organizational commitment of rehabilitation counselors working in the public rehabilitation agency in Nebraska are the focus of this study. Participants were 31 rehabilitation counselor survey respondents whose agencies agreed to take part in the study. A total of 57 surveys were mailed. Job satisfaction was measured using…

This paper presents findings of a study that investigated the supply and demand of school administrators in Nebraska and their levels of job satisfaction. Methodology included: (1) an analysis of Nebraska Department of Education data sets; (2) three different surveys each of 100 teachers and 100 school administrators; and (3) a questionnaire of…

A study examined the employment qualifications, job content, training, and training needs of ambulance service and rescue squad workers in Nebraska. Based on the 268 mail questionnaires that were completed and returned out of a total of 338 sent out, it was concluded that the strengths of the various ambulance and rescue services vary widely. The…

In 1990, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) included a Trial State Assessment (TSA); for the first time in the NAEP's history, voluntary state-by-state assessments (37 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands) were made. The sample was designed to represent the 8th grade public school population in a state…

Twelve major papers delivered during this conference on agricultural education in the Northeastern states are included in this volume: (1) "Status of Pennsylvania Special Needs Students in Vocational Agriculture: Phase IV--Job Performance Follow-Up," by Dennis C. Scanlon and Connie D. Baggett; (2) "Education, Age and Experience:…

The following are among the 34 papers included: "An Assessment of Support Staff Training in Public Two-Year Colleges" (Kuceyeski); "Attitude and Motivation of Vocational Student Teachers toward Teaching Commerce and Entrepreneurship" (Pihie, Elias); "Barriers Adult Office Education Students Encounter in Pursuit of…