Based on interviews with 40 Austrian primary school teachers, contends that equitable classroom practices result from beliefs and practices that are part of natural child discourse and are promoted by language learning. Recommends a new discourse of equity for teachers. Describes a project on language teaching based on the psycholinguistic…

Discusses educational equity in terms of students being denied access to knowledge through the process of ability grouping. Finds that instructional grouping, as it is currently practiced, does not live up to its expectations. Points out that inadequacies in instruction can be linked to the misconception that biosocial characteristics explain…

Examines recent changes in admission patterns and policies of some of the most prestigious American institutions of higher education, with particular reference to the University of California-Berkeley. Assesses the impact of these changes on Asian Americans and the principle of meritocracy. (FMW)

The dramatic shift in immigration patterns is discussed. By the end of the 1980s Asian refugees will account for 75.2 percent and Southeast Asians will total 60 percent of immigrants. The new Asians are too often excluded from special programs and scholarships and forced to compete with native-born Asians. (MLW)

Introduces 21 papers on racial inequality, examining 2 documents that significantly influenced American aspirations early in the century--"An American Dilemma" (Gunnar Myrdal) and "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas." The article discusses the impact of racial inequality on public education and the role of public…

Argues that the single most enduring effect of "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas," has been to reverse the public policy of racial segregation approved by the Supreme Court in "Plessy v. Ferguson." The article reviews instances of resistance and violence, government use of troops, and present situations of school…

Recent court decisions are putting educational institutions on notice that positive actions to prevent sexual harassment in schools may be required to limit the school's liability. Providing information about sexual harassment to students and school personnel will help ensure that all parties are aware of their rights and responsibilities. (SLD)

An excerpt from the book "Savage Inequalities" describes the situation in Camden, New Jersey, where children attend some of the nation's poorest schools; desegregation is unlikely, and those unable to leave face bleak futures. Discusses findings of a 1980s class action lawsuit that detail New Jersey's unequal public education systems.…

Examines ethnic diversity and the emergence of differing value systems, noting their impact on educational processes. The article recommends separating educational achievement from cultural affirmation and acknowledging that many minorities do not learn because they are not expected to learn. Education must change to affirm and include students…

Reviews previous experience and activities in literacy in Arab countries. Discusses the possibility of eradicating illiteracy by the year 2000. Describes the literacy strategy of the Arab states, its limitations, principles for a comprehensive literacy campaign, and examples. Includes the current status of illiteracy and actions being taken in…

A study of 4,455 school districts found African-American students were about 2.4 times more likely to be identified as mildly mentally retarded and about 1.5 times more likely to be identified as seriously emotionally disturbed than their non-African-American peers. Economic and demographic variables were significant predictors of disproportionate…

Contrasts the rhetoric and implementation of common schools (tax-supported, free public education) in 19th-century Boston with some subsequent educational discrimination. The Boston Public School system established intermediate schools and ungraded classes as a means of instructing illiterate immigrant children. It rapidly became a system of…

The verdict in the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) case undermined the concept of educational equity by equating it with sameness. Testimony was excluded that revealed bureaucratic processes creating new inequities: overemphasis on test preparation and manipulation of students' grade level designations to artificially improve…

A study of 115 Hispanic and 119 Anglo fifth-grade students and 12 teachers investigated teachers' nomination rates of Hispanic and Anglo students to gifted-and-talented programs. Results indicated that ethnicity was a factor in teachers' nomination rate and that differences in rates were more pronounced between Hispanic and Anglo females.…

This article describes stereotypes of gifted children that generate negative attitudes. It clarifies how stereotypes have been used to exclude children from programming and how equity issues are often ignored in identification. The exploration of these issues resulted in the development of a "gifted game", created as a project by undergraduate…