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Full-Text Articles in Education

Governing Massachusetts Public Schools: Assessing The 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act, John Portz Mar 1998

Governing Massachusetts Public Schools: Assessing The 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act, John Portz

New England Journal of Public Policy

The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 created a number of important changes in public education. In the area of local governance, the act was guided by a corporate model in which authority and responsibilities were reallocated among school committees, superintendents, principals, and newly created school councils. School committees in particular assumed a policymaking role, and superintendents became the chief executive officers of their school districts. This article, based on responses to a mail survey, is an early assessment of the act's governance changes. Superintendents are most satisfied with their role, especially their authority over principals and teachers. School committee …


Creating Legally Valid School Administrator Evaluation Policy In Utah, Steve Baldridge Mar 1998

Creating Legally Valid School Administrator Evaluation Policy In Utah, Steve Baldridge

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.


Approaches To Teaching Organizational Communication, Ronald L. Applbaum Jan 1998

Approaches To Teaching Organizational Communication, Ronald L. Applbaum

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article discusses approaches to teaching organizational communication in departments of speech communication. This paper argues that the primary goal in most organizational communication courses at the undergraduate level is actually the development of communication competencies. There are a number of teaching strategies used in the teaching of the basic course in organizational communication, ranging from lecture/discussion to experiential learning projects. Instructors have been particularly sensitive to criticism for the need to connect the classroom to the workplace. Instructional exercises are used to examine the role of human interaction in organizational life. Some of the most frequently used exercise strategies …


New Wave Computer Technology And The Administration Of Speech Communication Performance Courses, Chris R. Sawyer, Ralph R. Behnke Jan 1998

New Wave Computer Technology And The Administration Of Speech Communication Performance Courses, Chris R. Sawyer, Ralph R. Behnke

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

The article talks about the continued interest of the speech communication field in technology-supported instruction. Earlier detailed descriptions of teaching/learning laboratories in speech communication are based upon older computer-assisted instruction models and such laboratories were financially out of reach for most small-to-average sized departments. Recent, dramatic enhancements of the memories and processing speeds of microcomputers has made them ideal for recording, editing, and replaying sound supported motion picture clips of speech presentations. Clearly, evaluating student performance and providing substantial and prompt instructional feedback can easily be accommodated by the course web site. Aside from the interactive testing and automated grading …


An Analysis Of Research Article Productivity By Telecommunication Scholars Over The Past Decade, David Atkin, Leo W. Jeffres Jan 1998

An Analysis Of Research Article Productivity By Telecommunication Scholars Over The Past Decade, David Atkin, Leo W. Jeffres

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

The article presents a study which assesses scholarly productivity in telecommunication-oriented journals from 1985-1995. Telecommunication can be defined as mediated communication across a distance. Sixteen journals were selected for this analysis. Most were listed among publications with the highest number of telecommunication authorship credits, according to Vincent's study. Some of the differences in journal contributions may be a function of publication frequency and size. For instance, Journal of Media Economics (3.6 percent of articles) offered two issues/year through 1990 before expanding to four issues in 1993. Journalism Quarterly publishes more articles per issue than any of the other criterion journals. …


Administering The Hybrid Department: A National Survey Of Combined Communications/Theatre Arts Departments, Ellen Halperin-Royer Jan 1998

Administering The Hybrid Department: A National Survey Of Combined Communications/Theatre Arts Departments, Ellen Halperin-Royer

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

The article presents a study which aims to discover characteristics of hybrid speech/theatre departments that describe themselves as highly cooperative and collegial. To test the hypothesis that departments that are highly integrated between disciplines enjoy higher degrees of cooperation than departments where the disciplines function independently, a national survey of combined speech/theatre departments was conducted. The first procedure was a mail survey, which was followed by a telephone survey. The mail questionnaire began with a question regarding the types of degrees offered by the department. The survey then included a series of yes/no questions pertaining to the degree of integration …


A Speech Communication Program In Malaysia: Case Study In The Conundrums Of Teaching Abroad, Robert C. Dick, Brenda M. Robinson Jan 1998

A Speech Communication Program In Malaysia: Case Study In The Conundrums Of Teaching Abroad, Robert C. Dick, Brenda M. Robinson

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article deals with a study which aims to discover directly the unique elements of the culture of the Institut Teknologi MARA/Midwest Universities Consortium for International Activities (ITM/MUCIA) students that affect their speech communication. There are multiple influences on student behaviors and no generalizations can he made to fit all students at MUCIA. But, there were some characteristics that were extremely common. A survey of the ITM/MUCIA faculty and staff, from a wide cross-section of Americans and Malaysians, revealed near unanimity on strengths and weaknesses of Malaysian students, reflecting the nature of their earlier learning styles. The substance of classroom …


The Development Of A Skill-Mastery Assessment For A Basic Speech Course, Shelley D. Lane Jan 1998

The Development Of A Skill-Mastery Assessment For A Basic Speech Course, Shelley D. Lane

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article describes the creation of an interpersonal skill-mastery assessment for a basic course. In order to assess directly students' ability to perform skills, a search was begun to find a workable method to assess the performance of interpersonal skills in a required core course. After concluding that little research exists concerning basic course assessment, and that standardized assessment instruments may not be readily applicable to a basic course, faculty decided to create a new assessment instrument based on objective and subjective criteria. Faculty determined the skills to be tested, the manner in which students were to be assessed, and …


The Troubled Waters Of Communication Research: A Position Paper, Larry Z. Leslie Jan 1998

The Troubled Waters Of Communication Research: A Position Paper, Larry Z. Leslie

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article explores some of the problems faced by journalism and communication research. This effort is designed to stimulate thought and further discussion. This position paper calls for action to address some of the problems faced by communication researchers. It might be useful to begin with some basic definitions. Although many differences exist in departments of journalism, mass communication, and speech communication, for present purposes, the term communication shall refer broadly to all these specialties. Curricula, faculty training, students, research agendas, research methodology, teaching loads, and the like all differ. The terms research and scholarship have precise meanings to many, …


A "Bard's Eye" View Of Higher Education: A Satirical Commentary, Gerald Lee Ratliff Jan 1998

A "Bard's Eye" View Of Higher Education: A Satirical Commentary, Gerald Lee Ratliff

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article presents several quotations from dramatist and writer William Shakespeare to describe fundamental issues that plague higher education and to express some faculty and administrator's perspectives on people, processes and places in the profession.


A National Survey Of Core Course Requirements, Department Names, And Undergraduate Program Titles In Communication, Corwin P. King Jan 1998

A National Survey Of Core Course Requirements, Department Names, And Undergraduate Program Titles In Communication, Corwin P. King

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article presents a survey which assessed the typical number of core courses college departments have, the most commonly used ones, and, in a general way, their contents. The article also provides data on department names and undergraduate program areas for a picture of the communication discipline in the 1990s. First, with regard to core course requirements, the following observations are noted: Though a majority of departments now have some type of core course requirement, a strong minority don't. Departments that have a core typically have a small one. There is a good deal of variation in cores, but one …


"The Art Of Framing: Managing The Language Of Leadership," By Gail T. Fairhurst And Robert A. Sarr, Michael W. Shelton Jan 1998

"The Art Of Framing: Managing The Language Of Leadership," By Gail T. Fairhurst And Robert A. Sarr, Michael W. Shelton

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

a book review of "The Art of Framing: Managing the Language of Leadership," by Gail T. Fairhurst and Robert A. Sarr.


Factors That Influence The Funding Of College And University Media Outlets: Radio As A Blueprint, Samuel J. Sauls Jan 1998

Factors That Influence The Funding Of College And University Media Outlets: Radio As A Blueprint, Samuel J. Sauls

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article presents a study examining the funding aspects of college and university radio stations. The article focuses on the investigation of the variables of station management positions, station types, station power and perceptions of station purposes among radio station directors as possible significant predictors of selected factors which influence the funding of college and university noncommercial radio stations. The traditional function of most campus radio stations has been to serve as a training ground for students who plan to enter professional broadcasting. The present study's findings reinforced this contention by distinguishing the view of the radio station as a …


Course Fee Assessments: Categories And Policies, Lorayne W. Lester Jan 1998

Course Fee Assessments: Categories And Policies, Lorayne W. Lester

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article provides information on special student fees authorized by the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. These fees are assessments beyond the regular tuition costs paid by all students when departments must purchase markedly unusual, expendable materials or equipment for use by small numbers of students in certain highly specialized courses. Special fees have also been authorized for departments required to provide services, equipment, or facilities for small populations of students when such services, equipment or facilities are clearly beyond those commonly provided for the majority of students on campus. In a few instances, …


New Faculty: Starting Them Off In The Right Direction, Christopher Lynch, Teresa E. Choate Jan 1998

New Faculty: Starting Them Off In The Right Direction, Christopher Lynch, Teresa E. Choate

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article focuses on the problems faced by new college professors and the key to their success, which is communication: establishing a network for information, assistance and encouragement. When colleges and universities start new faculty off in the right direction, those faculty members will function better as teachers, as scholars, as committee members, and as long-term members of that academic community. Considering the financial investment a school makes in the interview process and in the hiring of new faculty, a thoroughly considered and well financed orientation program is insurance no college or university should be without.


Developing An Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Program In Communication: Values, Curriculum, And Preliminary Assessment, Thomas J. Socha Jan 1998

Developing An Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Program In Communication: Values, Curriculum, And Preliminary Assessment, Thomas J. Socha

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article describes a case study of a Communication Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA) program and reports a limited, preliminary assessment of the teaching effectiveness of 25 UTA. The article concludes by identifying various benefits and drawbacks of Communication UTA programs and offers recommendations for departments interested in developing similar programs. Communication faculty were initially skeptical of the idea of having undergraduates serve as teachers. This prompted discussions about the underlying values that might serve as building blocks of a UTA program. The label UTA is used to refer to a supervised teaching role occupied by an undergraduate. The role of …


Strategies For Effective Mentoring And For Being Effectively Mentored: A Focus On Research Institutions, Deborah Borisoff Jan 1998

Strategies For Effective Mentoring And For Being Effectively Mentored: A Focus On Research Institutions, Deborah Borisoff

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article focuses on the positive aspects of mentoring teachers within the field of communication. Department chairs ought to question the usefulness and effectiveness of this type of mentoring and consider strategies that will be helpful when new faculty are ultimately reviewed for promotion and tenure. The article examines the mentor's functions and indicate special concerns that may affect mentoring in academia. The paper argues that a formal mentoring process benefits the new hiree. The paper provides concrete guidance that a mentor can offer in the areas of scholarship, teaching, and service. These strategies focus on institutions where scholarship counts …


Course Fee Assessments: University Of Tennessee, Knoxville, Bill Black Jan 1998

Course Fee Assessments: University Of Tennessee, Knoxville, Bill Black

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article provides information on several student fees assessed in various departments at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville as of May 1998. In the Department of Music, the music fee, $60 for one half-hour lesson per week, per semester and $120 for one hour lesson per week, per semester is published in the undergraduate catalog. This amount is up from $45 and $90 in the 1994-95 catalog. This fee is collected as a part of registration to help defer the additional costs of one-on-one teaching. Some portion of the revenue from this fee is returned to the department for the …


A Note To The Frozen Chosen, Thomas Knestrict Ed. D. Jan 1998

A Note To The Frozen Chosen, Thomas Knestrict Ed. D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

A poem written by Tom Knestrict (Turtlesongs 1997).


The Wisdom Of Youth, Thomas Knestrict Ed. D. Jan 1998

The Wisdom Of Youth, Thomas Knestrict Ed. D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

A poem written by Tom Knestrict (Turtlesongs 1994).


Empowering Environments, John R. Wilson Jan 1998

Empowering Environments, John R. Wilson

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The special education system has come to a plateau. Although there have been significant advances in the quality of services delivered by special education teachers, this process can go forward only so far. It is now restricted from further significant advance by the bureaucratic and hierarchical form of education administration in this country. Until this structure is radically changed, special education teachers will not have the experiential knowledge to implement (on a wide scale) the individuality, empowerment, teamwork and overall spirit of the Individual Education Program process as outlined and intended in PL 94-142.

The IEP process has moved through …


Book Reviews: Resources For Creating Inclusive Communities, Ann E. Jantzen Ph.D. Jan 1998

Book Reviews: Resources For Creating Inclusive Communities, Ann E. Jantzen Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Whether you are looking for an article for a study group meeting, working with a committee on a staff development plan, or preparing you school-wide plan for next school year, the topic of inclusion is surely on your list of critical issues. In working on a State Superintendent's grant for preparing principals for inclusive practice, I recently had the opportunity to become familiar with several excellent resources for all of us involved in transforming school settings into truly inclusive communities. If you don't already have the following titles on your close-at-hand bookshelf I would urge you to get an order …


If Teacher Assessment Is The Answer, What Is The Question?, Michael W. Apple Jan 1998

If Teacher Assessment Is The Answer, What Is The Question?, Michael W. Apple

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Throughout the United States, it is almost impossible not to hear the din of criticism of our educational system. It is supposedly a failure. It does not prepare our children for the rigors of international competition. It is too responsive to "minority" interests and not responsive to "our" common culture. It is inefficient and wasteful. And it has been captured by " producer" (teacher) not "consumer" (parents and the business community) interests.

A number of quite contradictory proposals to "fix" the schools are currently enjoying their place in the limelight. The first is organized around a vision of the weak …


Exemplary Inclusion Lessons, Ronald G. Helms Ph.D., Colleen A. Finegan Ph.D. Jan 1998

Exemplary Inclusion Lessons, Ronald G. Helms Ph.D., Colleen A. Finegan Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The Great Ocean Rescue is an outstanding computer application for students of many ages and abilities. The authors have used The Great Ocean Rescue for several years with students from grades 2 through college. The Great Ocean Rescue is an outstanding software application for teaching about a variety of environmental and social issues.

In addition to the software options, the kit offers a teacher's guide and 28 student map resource booklets(seven sets of four), lesson plans, activities, and blackline masters. The CD-ROM version includes one set of students references. All versions contain a library of over 85 short movies and …


Obstacles Facing New African-American Faculty At Predominantly White Colleges And Universities, Keith Mcelroy Jan 1998

Obstacles Facing New African-American Faculty At Predominantly White Colleges And Universities, Keith Mcelroy

Trotter Review

Many African-Americans beginning their first faculty appointment at predominantly white colleges and universities may be in for a surprise. They may be under the illusion that engaging in good publishing, good teaching, and to a lesser degree, good service will ensure their advancement to tenure. Although many authors have explained in detail the consequences of not publishing, few have focused on the obstacles involved in obtaining good teaching evaluations. In many instances, African-American faculty may find their teaching evaluations are based on students' personal opinions rather than on the professors' pedagogical approaches.

This essay will examine some of the obstacles …


African-American Enrollment And Retention In Higher Education: An Application Of Game Theory, Kofi Lomotey, Mwalimu J. Shujaa, Thresa A. Nelson-Brown, Shariba Rivers Kyles Jan 1998

African-American Enrollment And Retention In Higher Education: An Application Of Game Theory, Kofi Lomotey, Mwalimu J. Shujaa, Thresa A. Nelson-Brown, Shariba Rivers Kyles

Trotter Review

This study is a qualitative analysis of perceptions of institutional commitment to the enrollment and retention of African-American students at one institution. The study, which was funded by the Spencer Foundation, was conducted at Oberlin College and is based on 31 interviews of students, faculty, administrators, and staff. At many predominantly white campuses, low enrollment and poor retention of African-American students is a present and escalating problem. However, Oberlin College has unusually high enrollment and retention rates for African-American students. We wanted to explore the possible reasons for this uniqueness. We relate our findings to the process of constructing theories …


Leadership For Diversity: Effectively Managing For A Transformation, Adrian K. Haugabrook Jan 1998

Leadership For Diversity: Effectively Managing For A Transformation, Adrian K. Haugabrook

Trotter Review

Diversity has become a contentious theme woven throughout many different aspects of higher education. Multiculturalism, ethnic studies, women's studies, curriculum reform, strategies for increasing access and opportunity to the under-represented and under-served and improving campus climate have all been vehicles to promote and further diversity initiatives. Diversity stands to challenge much of what has been the traditional views of higher education. The efforts to promote multiculturalism and diversity have caused the academy and the enterprise of higher learning to introspectively examine and reexamine its values, beliefs and relationships to a much larger society. American higher education now sees itself in …


African-American Female College Presidents And Leadership Styles, Runae Edwards Wilson Jan 1998

African-American Female College Presidents And Leadership Styles, Runae Edwards Wilson

Trotter Review

The leadership characteristics of African-American female college and university presidents have rarely been studied. The lack of research in this area is due, in part, to the absence of African-American females in leadership positions at four year higher education institutions. A contributing factor to the shortage of African-American female top level administrators is the "double whammy," or belonging to two groups that are discriminated against, African-Americans and females. The wage gap, institutional kinship, the old boy system, and role prejudice (a preconceived preference for specific behavior by the visibly identifiable group) are factors that have proved prohibitive to the ascension …


Let's Get It Started: Teaching Teachers How To Implement A Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Jamal A. Cooks Jan 1998

Let's Get It Started: Teaching Teachers How To Implement A Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Jamal A. Cooks

Trotter Review

In today's American schools, many teachers are faced with the problem of keeping African-American students engaged in the lessons taught in pre-K-12 classrooms, a problem which at times leads to low academic performance. According to data presented in the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 48% and 66% of African-American students scored below the basic competency level in reading and mathematics respectively. With many African-American students being labelled "not proficient" in some academic content areas, a growing achievement gap exists between African-American and European-American students. This gap contributes to fewer African-Americans 1) gaining access to institutions of higher education; 2) …


Preparing White Undergraduate Pre-Service Teachers To Teach African-American Students: What Does It Take?, Frances Y. Lowden Jan 1998

Preparing White Undergraduate Pre-Service Teachers To Teach African-American Students: What Does It Take?, Frances Y. Lowden

Trotter Review

A strong appreciation and knowledge of diverse cultures is vital in delivering what the Association for Childhood Education International position paper identifies as the curricular areas that should be addressed in a preparation program for teachers of young children. Thus, undergraduates must develop: 1) an acquaintance with great music, art and literature, 2) a knowledge of health, safety and nutrition, 3) an understanding of the physical and biological aspects of the world and the universe 4) a knowledge of mathematical concepts 5) an ability to read with comprehension, then to analyze, interpret, and judge a wide range of written material, …