Twenty Years after Sputnik: Imperatives in American Education Today.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper suggests three educational changes that need to be made in light of the changing relationship between the student and the institution. First, a closer relationship between colleges and elementary and secondary schools must be built. Since a majority of high school students go on to college, educators from the separate levels must focus on education of youth in general, rather than on the separateness of their institutions. Elementary, secondary, and higher education leaders need to examine the full range of education and build a better academic sequence. Secondly, education must become more flexible in terms of calender and location. With changing student age patterns, and with paperbacks, magazines, television, and travel now competing on an equal basis with the classroom and the book, education must modify schedules and locations to meet the changing needs of students. Finally, education must be more purposeful. While recognizing the uniqueness of each student, educators must search for a new common core of study that draws upon the traditional and emerging academic disciplines in order to focus on experiences common to all students. Educators must seek a closer relationship between curriculum and the nation's social goals. (Author/JK)