Cuban revolutionaries' nationalist goals (sovereignty, economic development, and social justice) were education centered. Over 40 years, the Cuban government maintained its strong commitment to education, stressing technical/professional education in the 1970s and continuous improvement and rectification in recent decades. Competing values, youth,…

Multicultural principles, discipline, and curriculum theory should be integrated and revisited across the teacher-education program via case studies, portfolio assessment, and field experiences. Authors deplore prescriptive, procedural approaches to teaching and value ongoing faculty/student conversations, university alliances with…

Because the U.S. government is empowered to seize land and resources and "recognize" Indian nations, various tribes are attempting to prove before white courts their existence over time as a stable, distinct people. Certain "leftist" projects are trying to "recontextualize" racial identity more broadly and devise…

Discusses five lasting 20th-century education reforms: ability grouping, testing, district/school consolidation, vocational education, and specialization. The future seems aimed at personalized instruction, smaller schools, less differentiation between academic and vocational education, greater trust in local governance units, and philosophic…

Common-school reformists advocated a common curriculum, state financial support and control, a professional teaching force, a social-reform component addressing crime and poverty, and the Americanization of immigrants. This article examines past and possible manifestations of common-school philosophy in contemporary school settings. (Contains 25…

A recent survey shows that Texas elementary teachers believe most students' science-education needs are adequately met in their schools. About 12 percent of 85,000 teachers are involved in collaborative ventures related to teaching and learning in science. Teachers recommended developing better science curricula and preservice courses. (MLH)

In the postwar transitional phase, restoration of a comprehensive education system in Bosnia has been impeded by inadequate resources and capacity to repair and/or upgrade existing facilities, debate over curricular content, differing school management systems, and student displacement. Rebuilding must stress democratic, multicultural principles.…

For substantial change to occur, a school system must understand the components of change: identifying assumptions, analyzing choices, making commitments, selecting and implementing appropriate actions, and engaging in critical reflection. Schools must also identify and manage key success factors for building capacity (ability and willingness) to…

Moral (rather than "corporate") accountability in education is essential; so is a human-centered leadership approach. Findings from an Australian study that investigated elementary principals' responsiveness to teachers' learning show how these leaders exercised their moral, professional, and contractual accountability to support a…

Under traditional Confucianism, China's school system became authoritarian, rigid, and undemocratic. In recent decades, China had one national curriculum and one unified set of textbooks. Now, text publication is more varied, curriculum planning and writing is becoming more democratic, and Western ideas are incorporated to spur economic…

A recent project collected and analyzed student success indicators generated by six high schools from a large, midwestern school corporation. Schools with clear student goals and enhanced professional-development opportunities made more successful transitions to block schedules. High achievers remained successful; low-achievers struggled under…

Using a sample of 160 students from New Hampshire's Brewster Academy, a study investigated possible improvements in student performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test that covaried with participation in the School Design Model. Results were positive, indicating that a research-driven improvement process can enhance independent school performance.…

Tests effectiveness of the Perceived Quality Assessment Instrument and examines whether compensation incentives for 360 Iowa school superintendents influence a school system's perceived level of quality. The instrument was valid. Performance pay incentives were not vindicated by this study. (Contains 34 references.) (MLH)

A total of 20 judges ruled on a 1994 sexual-harassment case including 5 U.S. Supreme Court justices, who decided in a middle- schooler's favor. School districts are liable for violations of Title IX when they knowingly ignore blatant, pervasive abuse that limits a student's educational access. (Contains 28 references.) (MLH)

Before 1994, South Africa had a complex education system, characterized by multiple, loosely connected bureaucracies; inequitable resource distribution; and concentrated, oligarchic power. The new government is striving to democratize education by dismantling and dismembering the old institution. Blacks and whites must cooperate to make it happen.…