This review evaluates the accuracy of diabetes mellitus coverage in selected mass-circulating women's magazines from 1995 through 2001. The ProQuest database was searched to obtain all citations from five women's magazines ("Better Homes and Gardens," "Good Housekeeping," "Ladies' Home Journal," "Family Circle," and "Woman's Day") and three…

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Schools, researchers examined the relationship between three state policies (graduation requirements, test score dissemination, and site-based management) and changes in school practices between 1980-93. Results indicate that state policies influenced school practices in policy specific domains,…

Describes the attempted 1933 merger between the University of Chicago and Northwestern University, discussing educational and institutional issues exposed during the debate. The universities and their presidents embodied very different philosophies of higher education. Circumstances surrounding the failed merger reveal much about the range of…

Reviews "History and Educational Policy Making," which includes several essays written over time by one author. The general theme is history informing policy decisions. The essays provide capsule histories of particular federal programs, demonstrating how politics have intervened to dictate policies inconsistent with history or research results.…

Analyzes the expanding federal role in K-12 education after the mid-1960s. Provides a brief historical overview of Title I and Head Start and discusses some of the major evaluations of these programs. Contains 111 references. (SLD)

Presents case studies and multivariate analyses that show that prefectures in Japan with the most egalitarian detracking reforms had the most flight from public to private schools and the emergence of the most within-school grouping. Discusses implications for the design of tracking policies. (Author/SLD)

Lang's biography of William Heard Kilpatrick, based largely on Kilpatrick's own previously sealed diaries, provide the opportunity to explore the nature and purpose of biography, especially educational biography. Because the sources are Kilpatrick's own works and diaries, the biography lacks the context that would explain more about Kilpatrick's…

Studies the institutional characteristics and strategic choices of successful academies operating under the New York Regents system from 1838 to 1850. Identifies single-sex education and denominational affiliation as important for success. Suggests frameworks for investigating variations among the 19th-century academies and discusses implications…

Studied course scheduling in five urban high schools, exploring reasons scheduling problems can persist year after year. Identified disruptions to the scheduling process. Contains 73 references. (SLD)

Discusses C. Milbrath's thesis that artistically talented and less talented children follow different developmental paths because they rely on different ways of responding to the world. Relates this thesis to studies of the childhood work of Paul Klee, Henri Toulouse Lautrec, and Pablo Picasso. (SLD)

Suggests that activity theory provides a useful framework for studying teachers' professional development, emphasizing the importance of settings in learning to teach and highlighting social and cultural factors that mediate development in particular contexts. Describes activity theory, illustrating key concepts with examples from a study of…

Analyzes the influence of calculus performance on choosing a mathematics, science, or engineering (MSE) major, noting the role of diverse students' participation in the Emerging Scholars Program (ESP), which helps strengthen calculus performance and encourage persistence in MSE. Findings suggest that ESP students earn higher calculus grades than…

This study was conducted to increase our understanding of learners' perceptions about how the first "class" in an online course should be and to further understand how learners' experiences in the first class contribute to their sense of well-being and engagement in online courses. The study revealed that learners' sense of engagement with courses…

Surveyed parents regarding their perceived needs in preventing their adolescents from engaging in substance use. The main needs were in learning how to teach their children to resist peer pressure to use substances and to communicate effectively with them concerning substance use. The most common resources parents used to obtain information were…

Investigated elementary school teachers' perspectives on barriers and enablers to teaching health in the classroom. Data from teacher interviews and focus groups revealed several barriers and few enablers, with three general thematic areas: existing policies or guidelines for instruction, limited instruction time, and teacher preferences. Overall,…