A field study conducted in the east Jordan Valley (September 1981-August 1983) explored the role of formal education in the maintenance of sex-gender hierarchy and other social heirarchies. Two rural secondary schools were studied, one for boys and one for girls, both attended by members of several different social/ethnic groups who consider…

Since 1979, education has had a key role in promoting social change in Nicaragua. Toward that end, the education system is expected to contribute to: (1) the formation of a "new person," a more critically conscious and participatory citizen who is motivated by collective goals; and (2) the transmission of the skills and knowledge to…

There is a popular and pervasive myth that higher education has been a potent social equalizer and great enfranchising vehicle for immigrants to the United States. Historic facts place the vast majority of yesterday's immigrants behind pushcarts or alongside mass production lines, waiting two or three generations before benefiting from the fruits…

American education is not as inadequate as public opinion indicates. The literacy and skill of American youth are higher today than forty years ago because of our high achievement standards and commitment to equal educational opportunity. These opposing principles have been reconciled by the diversity encouraged in institutions, teachers, and…

Theodore Roosevelt's education is used as a case-study to illustrate how educators' informal messages influence students to stay in their social class. These messages can be transmitted either consciously or unconsciously, through tone of voice, body movement, facial expression, and unspoken expectations or assumptions. As the first social…

This paper examines the controversial problem of the availability of and access to computers, training, and technology, and the availability of and access to all types of learners. Technologies must be designed with diverse learners in mind in order to fully realize their capacity and contribution to the field of education. If the need for…

Project Yi Jin was developed to provide an alternative route to higher education for students who failed the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination to gain academic status for and access to higher education. The project provides a 1-year full-time program that includes 600 contact hours of instruction in 10 subjects--7 core subjects and 3…

This paper examines the latest elementary, middle school, and district level Maryland student achievement and teacher experience data to argue that schools today are segregated not only along student backgrounds, but also along teacher expertise. The very students who need school the most to break out of the intergenerational cycle of poverty and…

Project FOCAL Point is a multi-strand project designed to increase female participation in the computing sciences. The project targets two crucial groups: high school computing teachers and female high school students. Features include a two-week teacher workshop, a one-week Computer Camp for Young Women, mini-grant projects and a follow-up…

This paper is a call to meet new challenges to ensure equal opportunity for historically African American colleges and universities. The paper suggests an inter-institutional effort among members of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education that begins internally and then moves beyond the institutions into the public…

As desegregation alternatives to busing are explored in the Dallas school district, educational equity remains a priority. Components and goals of the Dallas educational equity plan are presented in this address. The two most consistent challenges are recruiting minority staff and getting white students to attend schools in predominantly minority…

This curriculum analysis of black South African education considers conflict and change in historical, contemporary, and postapartheid contexts. Part 1, "The Historical Context," interprets curriculum evolution, beginning with the evangelical curriculum for slaves in 1658 and concluding with formalization of racism in the apartheid…

A review of over 500 research studies identified 3 factors influencing the ability of Mexican American students to profit from the instruction currently available in United States colleges and universities: (1) a different language; (2) a different economic situation; and (3) a different response to social and personal interactions. Based on these…

A group of three brief conference papers, all concerned with methods to help Limited English Proficient (LEP) students succeed, is presented in this document. The first paper, "Integrated Content Language Approach" (Jose Galvan), suggests that LEP students who are at the intermediate level or beyond will benefit from programs integrating…

A group of seven conference papers, all dealing with the role of testing and evaluation in the schools, is presented in this document. The papers are as follows: (1) "Framework for Effective Schools" (Eric Cooper), which identifies indicators of efficacy, quality, and equity; (2) "Quality Indicators for Monitoring Equity"…