In recent years, governments worldwide have increased their use of standardized tests and other forms of external tests to measure and report on student achievement in selected academic subjects. That trend, responding to public pressure on decision-makers to make school systems more transparent and accountable, is often colored by criticisms of…

Identifies 20 ways to enable families to be involved in education, help teachers and schools build family involvement, mobilize community support for schools and families, and share information about effective methods. (SK)

Describes a health fair conducted by the University of Texas at Austin and sponsored by the Health Information and Education Office at the Student Health Center. Its goal was to identify student health concerns and to respond programmatically. (Author/RK)

Offers a model for teacher education programs that will facilitate the development of a teacher with the capacity to analyze a given situation (large or small) and respond on the basis of knowledge and understanding. (Author/RK)

After a frustrating time trying to explain general class participation grades to students, the author developed a form designed to mitigate some of those difficulties. (Author/RK)

As a moral value, justice is given more attention than any other. Examines the strategies necessary for teaching justice as a moral value and discusses justice pioneers and justice laboratories as classroom strategies for teaching justice. (Editor/RK)

Discusses traditional preschool programming for the normal child, the emerging definition of normal childhood, some instances of positive educational change, the changing conceptions of women's roles, and how a preschool child's daily program today differs from that of the 1950s preschool day. (RK)

The author describes how character wheels can be used to produce writing and literary analysis exercises for adolescents. The character wheel describes a character, an object, or a concept six ways: (1) physical description, (2) thoughts, (3) behavior, (4) speech, (5) setting, and (6) reaction of others. (CH)

The author describes physical conditions in the classroom--light, sound, color and touch, and space--that the educator can alter to improve human comfort and thus make the classroom a more pleasurable, effective place for both teacher and student. (Editor)

Although it is costly to write, in both personal and financial terms, few other endeavors provide the same professional rewards and recognition, according to the author. He outlines the basic routine that any aspiring academician must follow in order to develop a successful publication record. (Editor/SJL)

The advent of sophisticated copying equipment has enhanced the significance of the carbon copy in organizational communication. The authors discuss the carbon copy both as an information tool and as a political device in administration and give managers guidelines on its use. (SJL)

Describing what children at the preoperational stage know about writing, spelling, and words, the authors make specific recommendations for ways language arts teachers can build instruction that is based on this knowledge. (SK)

The author explains how transpersonal psychology can be applied to education. She lists the emotional and academic benefits to students of relaxation and meditation, guided fantasy, dreams, parapsychology, biofeedback, and centering. (SJL)

After briefly reviewing some research on the outcomes of mainstreaming, the author presents seven guidelines to the special education teacher for smoothing the mainstreaming process. (SJL)