This essay spans past, present, and future using an etymological search, which reveals that the root of reading was interpretation, that writing was originally magic, and that arithmetic referred to counting. (MJL)

This article offers a brief review of the writing of Jean-Paul Desbiens, an educational reformer and Quebec education official known as "Brother Anonymous." Juxtaposes two different articles by Desbiens, exposing the contradictions and conflicts between them. (JDH)

The Secretary of Education responds to concerns that vocational education is being ignored in the educational reforms generated by "A Nation at Risk" and other reports. (SK)

Advertised as a response to a secondary school's crisis in Great Britain, the Education Reform Act (1988) is actually engineering a crisis by attempting to change the nature of British society and politics. Traditional arrangements are yielding to a more centralized educational finance system, a national curriculum, and increased teacher…

The author addresses the impact and significance of the back-to-the-basics movement as it relates to business education. She focuses on curriculum for business students, the need to train teachers to provide basic skills instruction, the role of business education, effects of the educational reform groups, and strategies for business educators.…

A panel of eight educators responds to the National Commission on Excellence in Education's recommendations that all students be required to take four years of English; three years of mathematics, science, and social studies; and one-half year of computer science. (MLF)

Documenting the decline in foreign language literacy among Americans and the decrease in foreign language requirements in high schools and colleges, the author stresses the intrinsic value of learning languages. He makes recommendations for improving foreign language study and attitudes toward it. (SK)

Presents the debate on linguistic and cultural diversity within the broader discourse of educational reform across Canada. Argues that issues related to English-as-a-Second-Language students have been marginalized in back-to-basics discourse. Critiques this marginalization and analyzes the inherent contradictions of its champions. (HB)

The issue of what comprises a good secondary school curriculum is still unresolved. The progressive education of the 1960s has yielded to a traditionalist emphasis on a strong liberal education for all students. Future reform will be based on what the present reform movement overlooks--strong vocational programs for students who are not…

Considers the educational views espoused by the Centre for Policy Studies of Great Britain as revealed in recent publications. Examines the strategies used by this group to block meaningful dialog. Argues for a more comprehensive concept of English instruction, and outlines such an agenda. (HB)

This report examines whether a high school curriculum organized around the five "new basics" suggested by the National Commission on Excellence in Education is likely to enhance student achievement. Data from the ETS Growth Study reveals that completion of the core curriculum has sizable effects on senior-year test performance, even when…

This paper examines the potential influences of school reform policies on the high school dropout rate, and it summaries a diverse set of reports on American education that recommend increasing academic standards in schools as a means for improving secondary school performance. (Author/LMO)

Discusses the Maryland Test of Citizenship Skills and the controversy surrounding its adoption. Presents results of a study of teachers' attitudes toward the test and remediation efforts. Concludes that competency-based testing discourages higher level thinking but encourages recall. Suggests that performance on the test does not reflect students'…

This report presents the response of delegates to the 1983 Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA) National Leadership Conference to the report of the National Commission on Excellence and Education, "A Nation at Risk." Their responses are provided to three issues: content (the Five New Basics), time, and citizen involvement. For…

This study focuses on vocational education curriculum and staffing changes among California school districts as a result of 1983 state back-to-basics educational reform legislation (Hughes-Hart Educational Reform Act of 1983). Data were gathered from 1981-86, beginning with baseline data two years prior to, during, and two years after legislation.…