Drawing Parallels in Search of Educational Equity: A Multicultural Education Delegation to China Looks Outside to See Within

In 2004, a professional delegation of multicultural educators visited the People's Republic of China to explore how diversity issues are addressed and how students are prepared for entry into the international workforce. The delegation, sponsored by the People to People Ambassador Programs, observed numerous parallels to the American system of education, including the challenge of providing equity for students of minority cultures, especially those in poor rural areas, and the conflict between modernization and preservation of cultural heritage.     

“Fear God; Fear the Bogaze”: The Nile Mouths and the Navigational Landscape of the Medieval Nile Delta,Egypt

By the fourth/tenth century, Egypt's Nile Delta had just two major Delta branches debouching directly into the Mediterranean – the Dumyā? (Damietta) and Rashīd (Rosetta). Navigational conditions at these branches’ mouths were treacherous because of a combination of currents, winds, wave-fields and shifting sandbanks. These conditions were a danger to shipping, and so had a formative effect on the navigational landscape of the Delta. Despite its remoteness from the Nile, Alexandria remained Egypt's chief Mediterranean port, but only because river connections were maintained that avoided the Rashīd mouth. In contrast, the port of Rashīd was relatively insignificant. Similar conditions at the Dumyā? mouth prompted navigators to adopt routes via Lake Tinnīs, modern Lake Manzala, which linked to the sea through its calmer sea mouths. This article brings together material from multiple disciplines to offer a new understanding of the navigational context of Egypt's medieval Mediterranean ports.     

The effect of individual goal-setting conferences on academic achievement and modification of locus of control orientation

The study was designed to investigate the effects of individual goal-setting conferences on classroom achievement and locus of control orientation. Subjects were blocked on sex and previous achievement and randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: the goal-setting (GS) group, which received weekly individual goal-setting conferences; the conference (Cf) group, which received weekly individual conferences but set no goals; and the control (C) group, which received no conferences. Analyses of the data showed a significant treatment effect for achievement across treatment groups, with the GS group having significantly higher achievement than the Cf and C groups. Treatment effect across locus of control measures across treatment groups was less clear, although post hoc analyses indicated that the GS group was significantly more internal than either the Cf or C groups on the three intellectually oriented measures.     

Identification of gifted students

School curricula are changing, most notably in the field of special education. One area which is increasingly receiving more emphasis is gifted education. The gifted student, who has too long been overlooked, is now eligible for placement in special education classes designed to further the development of his unique abilities. The role of the school psychologist in identification of the gifted student is discussed.     

Effect of EMR placement models on affective and social development

The study investigated the effects of three EMR placement models on children's social and affective development. The Barclay Classroom Climate Inventory (BCCI) was administered to 45 randomly selected classes from a population of 115 classes representing Self-Contained (SC), Selected Academic Placement (SAP), and Learning Center (LC) models. For SAP and LC children, BCCI assessments were obtained in both EMR and regular class settings. The BCCI data comprised self, peer, and teacher expectations. Results indicated that the SC setting resulted in the strongest support in terms of acceptance, and the SAP-EMR settings resulted in the fewest suspected problems. Thus it appears that stronger social support systems exist and fewer problems emerge for the children who are placed with others of similar cognitive ability.