Asserts that intended audience size for academic historians and other historians is a major barrier between the two groups. Concludes that cooperation between precollege teachers and historians is necessary and that teachers should have more voice in curriculum development. (CFR)

Reaffirms the importance of civic education and active learning about the Bill of Rights and attendant civic responsibilities. Identifies four categories of knowledge deficiencies about the Bill of Rights. Explores four key ways to improve teaching and learning about the Bill of Rights. Stresses connections between civic knowledge and the vitality…

Describes the teacher education programs of the Close Up Foundation. Discusses a week-long Washington, D.C., program that brings students and teachers in contact with elected and appointed public officials, lobbyists, and media representatives. Outlines a summer institutes program and an exchange program for U.S. and Japanese teachers. (CFR)

Reports on 29 veteran secondary social studies teachers' reactions and responses to the New Social Studies movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Results indicate the magnitude of the gulf that exists between the concerns of theorists and the issues that are important to teachers. (CFR)

In these days of tremendous political pressure for results measured by standardized tests, time constraints can make social and emotional learning (SEL) a difficult undertaking for many classroom teachers. It seemed that after-school programs would be effective learning environments for supplying the missing piece in children's education. In this…

This paper explores the interplay between Western conceptions of education and students from other educational traditions, most specifically Japan, through the lens of the author's practice in international education. He examines models of the private and public spheres and public discourse advanced by Hannah Arendt and Jurgen Habermas in relation…

Formal curriculum guidelines reflect prevailing understandings and political will, and help to shape the resources available for implemented curriculum. The understandings embodied in such public curriculum reinforce patterns of social violence and injustice, yet at the same time may provide diverse students with opportunities to develop…

This White Paper summarizes findings from an extensive literature review that was conducted to identify the most promising models and approaches for meeting the needs of low-income children, youth, and families during the summer months. Special attention is paid to summer learning programs that serve diverse, urban low-income children and youth.…

"Multicultural Education Policies in Canada and the United States" uses a dialogical approach to examine responses to increasing cultural and racial diversity in both countries. It compares and contrasts foundational myths and highlights the sociopolitical contexts that affect the conditions of citizenship, access to education, and…

Proof of academic performance often serves as the litmus test for maintaining instructional practices and programs. Just as the national focus on academic improvement has gained momentum, so too has another movement calling for character education. Educators find themselves caught in the middle, questioning whether character education is just…

This practicum was designed to improve students' ability to determine appropriate behavior for various places within the school and to learn self-control to comply with expectations. Specifically, the practicum intended to decrease the number of referrals to administrators and the counselor for out-of-control student behavior and decrease the…

This report, mandated by Ohio's 119th General Assembly, examines the fairness and appropriateness of the state's ninth-grade proficiency test. Under the assumption that it is indeed fair and appropriate to have a single, statewide graduation standard for all students, the study focuses on the issue of whether the test, as developed and…

Providing legal perspectives on multiculturalism, this curriculum guide assists lawyers making classroom presentations and teachers at all levels. This booklet contains lesson plans and ancillary materials on the topic of "Diversity and the Law," for three different levels of students: elementary grades 4-6 (Level A), middle school…

Recognizing that civic education is the school subject specifically dedicated to preparing students for democractic citizenship and that the school and classroom often have a less than democratic and value-loaded "political culture," this paper emphasizes the fundamental goals of civic education and then arrives at the ingredients of…

The Ohio Sixth-grade Proficiency Tests are designed to measure a sixth-grade level of literacy and basic competence. Beginning in March 1996, Ohio sixth graders will take proficiency tests in writing, reading, mathematics, citizenship, and science. Both teachers and administrators have been involved in the test development process, establishing…