This report is the second of two technical reports produced as part of the Study of Excellence in High School Education. These studies are: (1) a cross-sectional analysis comparing 1972 high school seniors and their schools with 1980 high school seniors and their schools; and (2) a longitudinal analysis relating growth and development of 1980 high…

Trends on college campuses within the United States as of 1985 are reported, with attention to early campus responses to national reports calling for educational reform. Also considered are faculty hiring practices, perceptions about institutional status, college linkages with business and industry, changes in enrollment, and the use of long-range…

An agenda for the future of higher education that is especially appropriate for state- and institutional-level action is presented. One initiative that is important to the future of the country that can also be promoted at the federal level is improvement of the research capacity of U.S. universities. The following views are presented: the most…

A survey of 1,027 chairpersons of foreign language departments in all Central States region two- and four-year colleges reveals encouraging news about the state of foreign language programs as perceived by administrators, but mixed results regarding issues affecting faculty and administrators. Respondents (N=304) expressed a high degree of…

Speakers at the Lipman Research Institute's inaugural symposium examined research and issues related to appropriate programs for 4-year-olds. David Weikart described the Perry Preschool Project, an ongoing study begun in 1962 of 123 black youths at risk of failing, and the High/Scope Preschool Curriculum Study. Jane Stallings covered short-term…

This book, divided into three sections, comprises papers delivered at a conference on "Alternative Strategies in Compensatory Education," convened by the staff of the National Assessment of Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act and designed to aid Congress in its 1987 reauthorization of Chapter 1. The introduction,…

A national conference was held to examine ways for improving vocational education in comprehensive high schools. One of the major ideas to emerge from the conference was that, like other high schools, comprehensive high schools offering a vocational component will have to make a commitment to excellence if they are to continue to serve a useful…

"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…

For the last 10 years, polling data have recorded a consistent decline in the American citizen's support for public education. While public schools experienced an 8 percent decline in enrollment between 1968 and 1978, private school enrollment grew by 12 percent. The decline in quality of public education over the last 50 years appears strongly…

Regional seminars were held to assess the ideas presented in the report, sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences, entitled "Education for Tomorrow's Jobs" and to record ways to improve the quality of vocational education. The organizers of the seminars invited knowledgeable experts in the field to discuss ways to improve vocational…

The Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah Restoration Act (1980) restored federal recognition of the tribe after a quarter century of ambiguous political status, and resulted in significant improvements of educational status of tribal members and intensification of the political presence of Southern Paiutes. Following the Paiute Indian Termination Act…

The quality of doctoral-level biochemistry (N=139), botany (N=83), cellular/molecular biology (N=89), microbiology (N=134), physiology (N=101), and zoology (N=70) programs at United States universities was assessed, using 16 measures. These measures focused on variables related to: (1) program size; (2) characteristics of graduates; (3)…

This report describes an exemplary Oregon middle school that incorporates a comprehensive program of academic instruction and activity, a community of dedicated staff and involved students, and an orderly environment marked by a businesslike approach to teaching and learning. Outstanding components of Philomath Middle School's climate for learning…

A synthesis and summary of the recommendations of the following five reports are presented: (1) "Integrity in the College Curriculum: A Report to the Academic Community, The Findings and Recommendations of the Project on Redefining the Meaning and Purpose of Baccalaureate Degrees," by the Association of American Colleges, February 1985;…

As in 1988, the current status of education is presented in the form of indicators measuring education's "health" and showing major trends and developments. These indicators derive from studies carried out by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and from surveys conducted within and outside the Federal Government. This…