教育均衡发展:理论、指标及测算方法

教育均衡实质上是指在教育公平思想和教育平等原则的支配下,教育机构和受教育者在教育活动中有平等待遇的理想和确保其实际操作的教育政策和法律制度。教育均衡发展的本质是追求教育平等,实现教育公平。教育均衡发展从宏观层面分析是教育供给与需求的均衡,从中观层面分析是教育资源配置的均衡,从微观层面分析是学校教育过程包括内部课程教学资源配置的均衡、教育结果的均衡以及教育评价的均衡。教育均衡发展是一个历史范畴,按其实现程度可分为四个阶段。建立适应我国国情的基础教育特别是义务教育均衡发展指数,科学地选择基础教育均衡发展的要素,明确基础教育均衡发展的目标,具有重要的现实意义。数据分析表明,我国基础教育从整体上看正在趋向均衡。     

Program reevaluation: The gifted controversy

Gifted reevaluations consume an enormous amount of professional time and energy. The purpose of the present study was to survey gifted education teachers' and supervisors' perceptions of current gifted reevaluation practices. Results showed most gifted educators were not in agreement with the practice of using gifted reevaluations to reestablish program eligibility. Instead, they would prefer to get information relevant to program evaluation, program planning, and the need for additional services. Included among the alternatives suggested to replace the present gifted reevaluation practices were consideration of student work products, motivation, and interest; reports by parents and by regular and gifted education teachers; and monitoring the student progress made in achieving the goals of the individual educational program.     

Editor's introduction to the forum on defining applied communication scholarship

Although public meetings are a frequent method of public participation and risk communication, little research investigates what citizens think about their use in environmental management. To examine satisfaction with public meetings, residents of two neighboring communities received questionnaires following a public meeting about a local landfill. Respondents included residents who did and did not attend the meeting. Irrespective of whether respondents had ever attended a public meeting, meeting expectations and perceptions of relational/informational communication at meetings, including whether respondents thought meeting organizers were genuinely interested in participants' comments or meetings were informative, predicted satisfaction. Perceived risk associated with the recent meeting's topic and credibility of government agencies that frequently conduct meetings also predicted satisfaction.