The 1983 publication of "A Nation at Risk" began a new reevaluation of American schooling. The issues raised in that and several more recent reports are summarized and discussed in this preface to the ERIC volume, "Trends and Issues in Education, 1986." This paper offers observations and reflections on the issues presented in that volume and…

"A Nation at Risk" and other recent reports have focused public attention on excellence in education. During the same period, the federal government has cut aid to education by almost 20 percent and consolidated federal funding into block grant programs, which some critics have claimed are less efficient than programs before…

This document presents a set of action-oriented mandates developed at a conference of black national and grassroots organizations and associations to discuss ways to improve the education of black children. The mandates cover the following major issue areas: (1) students, who attend school to become intellectually, socially, and economically…

THESE APPENDIXES TO THE 1967 U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION INVESTIGATION OF RACIAL IMBALANCE IN AMERICA'S SCHOOLS CONTAIN EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION AND DATA RELEVANT TO THE STUDY'S FINDINGS. PRESENTED IN THE FIRST APPENDIX ARE TABULATIONS OF THE DEGREE OF PUPIL AND TEACHER SEGREGATION IN VARIOUS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN 1965-66, AND OF THE GROWTH OF…

The paper examines interpretations of educational development in western Europe since the 1960s and suggests that equality of opportunity has been the most pervasive theme underlying educational policy and development. Most often used to describe educational development are (1) demographic and economic data, (2) analyses of structural changes in…

The 1974-75 in-depth study was designed and conducted as an exploratory investigation of program and contextual factors related to achievement. The study was conducted in conjunction with the National Evaluation of the Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA). The analysis of school success was guided by a conceptual model that identified four key…

States must ensure that all citizens, regardless of race, have real opportunities to gain the education and skills needed to achieve the American Dream. If state policies, especially economic policies, fail to acknowledge the growing numbers of poor Black undereducated and unskilled urban youth, that dream of equal opportunity will continue to be…

In recent years, New York, like most other states, has adopted a set of challenging educational standards that are geared to preparing all students to be capable citizens and to compete in the global marketplace. The state has also implemented extensive Regents testing programs to measure student progress toward meeting the standards. These…

A study examined the profiles of vocational education and training (VET) clients in disadvantaged areas of Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, building on earlier analysis of VET participation in those cities. The study examined the characteristics of VET clients coming from postal codes identified as disadvantaged to determine, if possible, to what…

This reference includes presentations that cover current research, best practices, and solutions to improve student achievement. The 25 chapters are: (1) "The Three Stories of Educational Reform: Inside; Inside/Out; Outside/In" (Michael Fullan); (2) "Hey, You with the Frontal Lobes: Brains for Educators, Educators of Brains"…

This collection of papers presents the current state of research on effective instructional programs for Hispanic American students. The 10 chapters are: (1) "Effective Programs for Latino Students in Elementary and Middle Schools" (Olatokunbo S. Fashola, Robert E. Slavin, Margarita Calderon, and Richard Duran); (2) "Effective…

This annual report features national data on academic progress in U.S. public schools, showing student achievement and opportunity patterns from kindergarten through college, by race, ethnicity and family income. It focuses on academic achievement (reading performance on the most recent adminstration of the National Asssessment of Educational…

In 2001, the Pennsylvania Department of Education contracted with Western Michigan University to evaluate Pennsylvania's charter schools and charter school initiative over two years. The study used site visits, work sample review, document review, focus groups, portfolios and surveys to gather data regarding the movement's effectiveness, progress,…

Blacks's participation in the educational establishment has decreased since 1970 in the following areas: (1) elementary and secondary education; (2) post secondary education; (3) graduate degrees; (4) faculty appointments; and (5) labor force professionals. The decline of minority teachers in American schools will adversely affect all children.…

Describes the development of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) tests which predict student success in mathematics on the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) and readiness for college mathematics. Institutions wishing to expand ethnic diversity in teacher education must help minority students prepare for tests like the TASP. (SM)