This article provides data on the decentralization of seven large U. S. school systems, explaining when and how it came about. (Editor)

Research and practitioners are both at fault for failing to understand and communicate with each other. The result has been mutual animosity and a failure of research to bolster educational practice in the way it should. (Author/DS)

Because of lack of research and too much political gamesmanship, accountability's great promise may never be realized, say the authors. (Editor)

To implement curriculum changes successfully, five guidelines should be followed: changes should be research-based; successful innovation requires organizational changes; innovations must be feasible for the average teacher; implementation efforts must be organic, not bureaucratic; and a definite curriculum plan is essential. Guidelines for…

Examines four varieties of curriculum irrelevance, including curricula that are fixed, antiseptic, trivial, and right answer-oriented. Suggests that educators need to stress curricular context and concern themselves more with process and less with products. Includes 10 references. (MLH)

To help educators design a balanced curriculum giving students opportunities to master knowledge and use it appropriately, this article explains curriculum design components and framework and provides advice concerning selecting the design, exploring sources, working with the committee, and developing guiding statements. Includes eight references.…

Explores the relationship between knowledge and change and asks what knowledge is of most worth. Outlines 10 knowledge skills providing learners with the basis for coping with change. Failure to master these skills will leave future adults powerless in a complex, power-driven world. (MLH)

This second of two articles on questioning strategies and skills explores for principals evaluating teaching the characteristics of good questions, to dos and don'ts in questioning, and the research on questioning. (CJH)

Research on teaching has begun to concentrate on "product" or student outcomes. Three instructional techniques are important in the analysis of student outcomes: (1) academic learning time, (2) direct instruction, and (3) mastery learning. The author explores the merits of each, reviewing both critics' and advocates' positions. (MD)

Attempts to clarify the relationship of curriculum, instruction, and supervision roles for administrators confronted by pressing managerial, community, and fiscal responsibilities. All three components are necessary and should have equal weight in the decision-making process. Nineteen references are included. (MLH)

Contemporary society is facing rapid and fundamental changes, and educators must take the lessons of the past and shape a plan for the future. This article traces curriculum trends from the late nineteenth century to the present, showing how the aims of education adapted to the changing conditions and social forces. (DCS)

Curriculum theories are necessary to help researchers and practitioners deal with different purposes, forms, and functions. Theories should be logical; consider curriculum sources, systems, technical aspects, planning levels; incorporate subject matter and student experiences; help practitioners use whatever is being theorized. (MLH)

Future school curricula are likely to be less departmentalized and more integrated and holistic. This article summarizes new trends and emerging issues, such as telecommunications; computer literacy; nuclear, environmental, and AIDS education; nutrition and exercise, aging education, and futuristic study. Includes 18 notes. (MLH)

The effectiveness of a teacher depends on students' social, economic, cognitive, psychological characteristics; grade level; and subject area. Failure to recognize these variables can distort research findings and recommended methods for good teaching. (Author/MD)

Reviews research on instructional techniques recognizing the different learning styles, languages, dialects, or cultures of minority students. Concludes that special educational programs for students of other cultures may have both positive and negative outcomes. (JM)