By 1989, fascism had long been defeated in Europe, and reforms in the Soviet Union appeared to signify the collapse of communist ideology, prompting Francis Fukuyama to famously declare the 'end of history'. Since then, neoliberalism has been rolled out globally. This paper argues that, with regard to higher education, Fukuyama's claim that the…

Divisive rhetoric and heated political discourse surround the identification and education of gifted students and lead to opposing philosophical issues of egalitarianism versus elitism. Researchers have long chronicled the ambivalence in the United States over the concepts of giftedness and intellectual talent (Benbow & Stanley, 1996; see also…

Using a historical approach, Sobe examines the myths and ideals that have underlain U.S. educational initiatives in postconflict nations abroad. Building on its tradition of modern schooling designed to advance civic and social order, America has sought to extend its political and cultural values overseas through educational reforms in…

In this essay, Gloria Ladson-Billings describes her reaction to Barack Obama's election and her desire to share these historic moments with folks she considers "everyday people." She then looks to the future of education in the United States and highlights obstacles to the Obama administration's meaningful engagement with education…

Discusses the 1983 "A Nation at Risk" report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education in terms of the history of schooling in the U.S. from the late 1890s to the present. Questions the materialistic emphasis of the commission's definitions of the purposes of education and of the "national interest." (CB)

The ninth recommendation in ACTE's high school reform position statement is to move beyond "seat-time" and narrowly defined knowledge and skills. United States high schools operate on a well-established set of expectations for size, time of day and seasons of the year that programs and classes are offered, how instructional material is…

A commentary on the emergence of an age beyond industrialism which paints a new vision of industrial enterprise and which evolves around challenges to American core values which reflect a new quest for individuality and for personal enhancement through continuous learning. Three major challenges are described followed by suggestions for the new…

What constitutes literacy is not a single value-free standard but the product of the values of particular cultures at particular points in their histories. The history of literacy efforts in the United States and Canada is examined to discover their philosophical roots and ideological underpinnings. (IS)

Basic elements of the higher education system are considered, along with variations across nations (the United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan, Italy, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Australia, Canada, the United States, Poland, Yugoslavia, Mexico, and Thailand). Three basic elements of the organization of higher education system are identified:…

American schools, especially their physical education and sport programs, provide some of the most hostile social geographies in all of society for gay youth. With the aim of transforming schools toward more democratic and sexuality sensitive institutions, this paper reviews the literature on sexuality and education. In the review, three themes,…

Spurred on by such discussions of education as Jenk's "Inequality" and Coleman's controversial pronouncements on desegregation orders and "white flight," this anthology focuses on the efficacy of educational reform. The articles were compiled from two issues of the journal "Social Problems." The introductory essay by…

Progress in travel, technology, and other domains has contributed to the breaking down of barriers between countries and allowed for the development of an increasingly global society. International cooperation and competition are now pervasive in areas as diverse as business, science, arts, politics, and athletics. Educating students to navigate…