The Open Studio Project (OSP) is a nonprofit arts and social service organization. This report presents the OSP process as a model of social action. It describes how the model was implemented in a particular community to address a need for arts programs for at risk youth. "Art & Action," an outreach program of OSP, became a unique year round after…

This article describes the Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) model of instruction and the critical components for its successful implementation and dissemination. It speculates about the future of PLTL and reflects on the lessons learned by the PLTL coalition as it evolved from a small consortium to a national network of about 160 faculty, fourteen…

Continuing education is being provided to professionals in the addiction treatment field to help them develop skills in process improvement and better meet the needs and requests they encounter. Access and retention of individuals seeking addiction treatment have been two of the greatest challenges addiction treatment professionals face.…

Professional Development Schools provide many different opportunities for the supervision of pre-service teacher. One of these options is the Shared Supervision of student teachers in which the university faculty member and the supervising classroom teacher now work together to complete observations, provide feedback, and complete summative…

Responding to mandates from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to eliminate "remedial" or "developmental" courses from state-funded, four-year institutions, the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) Department of English developed a college-level pre-first-year writing program for entering students identified as…

It is essential for physical education teachers to utilize a foundation of physiological principles to design and monitor appropriate, safe, and effective exercise for their students. Adult training programs are not appropriate for children. Teachers should consider individual levels of maturation, motor skill ability, and affective needs when…

This article addresses the application of the Accelerated Schools Project (ASP) model in Hong Kong, as well as specific aspects of implementation in two schools. One lesson from the localized project, the Accelerated Schools for Quality Education (ASPQE), is that change is slow. This suggests that time should be given for both cultural change and…

The article presents the essential concept of reforms, implemented in Poland's education system since the early 1990s and some of their outcomes. Special attention is paid to one particular aspect of the reforms, i.e. structural diversification of the system, leading to diversification of education levels and corresponding diplomas. The article…

This paper explores what lessons we can learn from the experiences of states that instituted NCLB-like accountability systems prior to 2001 (here called first-generation accountability systems). We looked at the experiences of three smaller states (Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina), four larger ones (California, Florida, New York, Texas), and…

The Vision In Preschoolers (VIP) Study, is a multi-phased, multi-center study designed to identify screening tests that best detect vision problems in preschool children. The VIP Study uses mobile medical units that are specially equipped to conduct vision screenings and eye examinations. Known as Vision Vans, these mobile units are staffed by lay…

Across the country, states are concentrating efforts to meet the requirements and the spirit of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The implementation provisions and timelines are demanding and challenging for all districts. NCLB is particularly daunting, however, for rural and small districts. This paper outlines the characteristics of rural schools and…

The article is an historical account of the establishment of a new voluntary aided secondary school, named Nottingham Emmanuel School. The national and local contexts are established and discussed in practical and theological reflective ways by examining four key questions; (1) will the church take risks in education; (2) can the church deliver in…

This article discusses how literacy leadership is used to improve the achievement of struggling students. Literacy leadership begins with principals believing, knowing, and deliberately doing certain things. In reflecting on the experience of developing, implementing, and evaluating a successful literacy intervention, it is clear that literacy…

Computer aided assessment is a common approach used by educational institutions. The benefits range into the design of teaching, learning, and instructional materials. While some such systems implement fully automated marking for multiple choice questions and fill-in-the-blanks, they are insufficient when human critiquing is required. Current…

Utah's K-3 Reading Improvement Program provides state matching funds to help districts and charter schools achieve the state's goal of having third graders read at or above grade level. All 40 Utah school districts took part in both Year 1 (2004/05) and Year 2 (2005/06) of the program, and the number of participating charter schools increased in…