Higher-education institutions in Texas are increasingly exploring innovative approaches to structuring and delivering degree programs. Several institutions have developed competency-based degree programs, which aim to offer new pathways for students to obtain postsecondary credentials and to reduce higher-education costs for students by focusing…

In this powerful collection of personal accounts, successful and respected teachers from across the country reveal how recent education policies have played out in their schools and classrooms in negative and counterproductive ways, and offer teacher-led alternatives for providing equitable, engaging, and empowering education. Framed by critical…

This book explores ways of teaching that are free from determinist beliefs about ability. In a detailed critique of the practices of ability labelling and ability-focused teaching, "Learning without Limits" examines the damage these practices can do to young people, teachers and the curriculum. Drawing on a research project at the…

Based on a 31-question survey sent to 2,500 alternative secondary schools located across the country, this report summarizes results from the 1,200 schools responding to the questionnaire. Section 1 describes some of the structural features of alternative schools, including where they are, why they were started, organizational characteristics,…

Presents a speech by the president of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), given at the organization's annual meeting. Discusses the national standards movement and contends that the NCSS standards integrate knowledge from the full spectrum of the social sciences and the humanities. (CFR)

This paper discusses the problems of the teaching profession from the perspective of the classroom teacher, and attempts to develop a set of policy recommendations related to improving teaching conditions and teacher effectiveness. Information collection focused on data obtained from in-depth interviews conducted with 73 elementary and secondary…

A study was done by student researchers of Latino high school students' perspectives on the Latino dropout problem. Four large, zoned high schools with few selective programs and with substantial numbers of Latinos (23 percent to 43 percent) were selected. Two of these high schools had high and two had low Latino dropout rates. Approximately 60…

Asserts that a trend toward vocationalism in Australian schools has been underway since the 1970s. Examines educational restructuring efforts in Australia and describes their relationship to Australian political developments. Argues for a reconstruction of democratic social democracy within the framework of vocationalism. (CFR)

The influences of United Kingdom (UK) science teachers and careers advisers on students' decisions about science subjects and science and technology (S&T) careers were examined through a survey completed by 155 (55% of the target sample) career advisers to year 11 pupils in 7 careers service companies and case studies of a sample of 6 diverse…