Discusses the impact of changing national administrations on the educational systems of Europe, the resistance to change of each country's attitudes toward education, and distinctive features of the "educational cultures" of European countries. (PGD)

An introductory college course in teaching offered for credit to high school students in Louisville, Kentucky, improved the students' attitudes toward teachers and teaching, a first step toward attracting good students to teaching careers. (PGD)

When the parents of school age children have significant relationships with their children's schoolmates, a particularly strong school-community relationship forms. Public schools in the United States are best organized to serve such functional, neighborhood communities, which are rapidly disappearing. School reorganization might renew community…

Reviews the history of federal support for compensatory education from the conception of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1967 to its recasting as Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981. Analyzes the reasons behind the the success of the federal effort. (PGD)

Describes five major kinds of explanations for educational disadvantagement, with varying degrees of responsibility assigned to environmental factors. Considers the relative roles of sociology and psychology in proposing responses to disadvantagement. Analyzes two movements seeking to reduce disadvantagement while sidestepping social issues and…

Data generated through the National Assessment of Educational Progress's regular and special reading assessments during the 1970s indicate that the reading performance of historically lower-achieving students has risen considerably. Unfortunately, the significance of the data has not been fully explored by the news media. (PGD)

Seven studies of the positive long- and short-term effects of good preschool programs on low-income youngsters provide evidence that such programs can be effective. The studies also reveal some of the problems faced by researchers in this field. (PGD)

The Perry Preschool Study conducted in Ypsilanti, Michigan, determined that a good preschool program can have significant long-term positive effects for students from low-income families and can prove cost-effective for the society as a whole. (PGD)

Notes that preschool compensatory education has not resulted in any appreciable, durable gains in I.Q. or scholastic achievement. Posits that compensatory programs remedied deficiencies in knowledge but not in cognitive processes. Suggests further research into the nature of intelligence and its malleability. (PGD)

Reflects on the rationale for federal involvement in education (particularly on behalf of the disadvantaged), considers the Reagan Administration's efforts to diminish the federal role, discusses research on the effectiveness of federal initiatives, proposes an appropriate federal role, and examines the impact of existing legislation. (Author/PGD)

Discusses the political battles over federal support of education in the Congress since Reagan's election to the Presidency, including the reaction to the impact of the report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education. Contrasts the activities and attitudes of Reagan and Kentucky's late Democratic Congressman Carl Perkins. (PGD)

Reviews the National Commission on Secondary Vocational Education's findings regarding present attitudes, developing trends, and desirable goals associated with vocational education. Topics of discussion include vocational education's worth, status, flexibility, popularity, accessibility, equity, curriculum, teachers, program standards,…

Two catalogs produced at the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development describe programs and practices used by elementary and secondary level building administrators to handle common problems of instructional management. Addresses and phone numbers of principals whose practices are cited are provided to encourage information…

Proposes creation of a tongue-in-cheek award for those who would rather sue than try to resolve problems through negotiation and communication. Nominates specific cases tried in 1982, 1983, and 1984 to receive the award. (Author/PGD)

Research on class size during the past decade indicates that dramatically smaller classes significantly improve student performance, do not encourage adoption of drastically different teaching methods, and lead to increased student-teacher contact. Other research suggests techniques for working with small groups and for reorganizing school…