There are two causes that have been suggested as the major contributors to poor student achievement. One view attributes student underachievement to educational factors such as inadequate standards and poor teachers. The other view sees societal factors as the main contributor to low student achievement. This commentary looks at one societal…

There are many factors affecting student achievement. It is misguided and a waste of time and effort to pursue the failed policies of more standards, tests, and accountability. The primary problems relative to student achievement are mainly societal. Rather than more failed policies, what our nation needs is a discussion about national values,…

Thanks to China's reform and opening to the world over the last three decades, the conventional normal education system, which is characterized by independent orientation, is now being challenged by a comprehensive and multi-faceted modern teacher education system that has taken shape. It is high time that we attached great significance to the…

School shootings have been in the news of late. People ponder what occurs in classrooms today. Why would a young person wish to take a life? Within educational institutions, the killings are a concern. In our dire attempt to teach the children and ensure student success, it seems many of our offspring are lost. Some students feel separate from…

This article deals with the use of Problem-Based Learning. The emphasis on high stakes testing, classroom size, diversity, school violence, and much more impact public education and professional preparation programs relative to teacher education. Issues are presented dealing with Accrediting Commissions and Professional Organizations, and the use…

This paper considers the history and purposes of accreditation in the United States, examines its basic elements, and notes its tendency to encompass ever-increasing geographic areas. It contrasts those with the experience of Uruguay within MERCOSUR and its history of accreditation. In order to make this comparison across both regions, the focus…

Most states do not offer reciprocity for other state assessment tests. That practice has an adverse effect on school-aged, dependent children of military service members. President Clinton's 1997 solution was a national standardized assessment test for public school students. Critics stated it would cost $96,000,000 to deliver the test. Florida…

Challenged by our 7th U.S. Secretary of Education, Rod Paige, when he said "Dream how technology can not only improve education but also transform what we think of as education," we made this dream a reality in an elementary classroom in the Bronx. The dream of improving and transforming education through technology became possible as a…

Parent involvement in literacy instruction has a significant, positive impact on children's reading acquisition and family economic success. Much like other place-based family strengthening approaches, family literacy programs are inherently family-focused, designed to address the learning needs of an entire family rather than each separate…

The thesis of this paper is simple. Employers are dissatisfied with the number and quality of the graduates being produced in scientific and technological subjects by the Universities. The Universities are themselves dissatisfied with the scientific and mathematical knowledge of their own intake from the secondary schools. The author's contention…