Outlines the development of a model high school program in Virginia that is designed to be a model-in-miniature of what the state's schools can do. Its goal is to develop practical solutions to the problems of high schools. (MD)

Summarizes the contents of 13 national commission reports from the 1960s to the 1990s, highlighting recent trends in course and graduation requirements, grade inflation, achievement test scores, international comparisons, functional illiteracy figures, and school demography. An education policy that invests in human capital and productivity and…

Through participation in school music programs, students gain a sense of discipline, self-esteem, pride of accomplishment and learn to excel in teamwork, problem solving, leadership, creative thinking. Education Secretary Richard W. Riley and President Bill Clinton are strong advocates for enriched arts education for every child. Newly developed…

Examines the relationships between schooling and five areas of national life: economic factors, public law and regulations, home factors, social conditions, and media and popular culture. Compared with South Korea and West Germany, the U.S. "national report card" is mediocre. Increasing youth employment in the U.S. is one reason.…

Middle level education needs personnel specifically educated for and committed to working with the middle level age group and program, and this requires the development of sound middle level teacher certification requirements and programs. (Author/DCS)

Raising academic performance to optimal levels involves providing appropriate learning experiences, using relevant external resources, encouraging positive student-teacher relations, exhibiting high expectations for academic performance, developing positive student self-concepts, and demonstrating the future utility of schooling. This article…

The National Commission on Excellence in Education found mathematics and science programs to be deteriorating and saw an existing shortage of qualified teachers of these subjects. Many of the Commission's solutions are expected to meet with resistance from the Reagan administration and from teachers' unions. (MLF)

Using examples drawn from extensive observation of schools in Nebraska and the Northwest, two authors (one with less enthusiasm than the other) counter current widespread criticism of today's schools and students. (JM)

A survey of 71 middle-school, high-school, and college students attending public and private institutions covered topics such as instructional method, teaching quality, and school safety. Students presented a "balanced" picture, but claimed that classroom experiences have not changed over their years of attendance. (MLH)