Action research in the Cobb County (Georgia) school district is described. This research is being conducted in the district under three main approaches: (1) co-researcher projects addressing central level issues; (2) district-wide projects; and (3) school-focused action research, including minigrants to teachers. The first three…

The report details a 12-day workshop for 40 teachers of English as a foreign language (TEFL) held in China. It begins with an overview of the status of instruction in English as a second language (ESL) in that country, highlighting both progress and the difficulty of keeping up with demand for ESL teachers. Areas of difficulty in ESL instruction,…

This report examines experience of Moorhead State University (Minnesota) in attracting and retaining nontraditional, high-risk students through an alternative program called The New Center for Multidisciplinary Studies. The program's two-tier admission system represents an open-access concept offering an alternative way to begin college for…

Besides highlighting new national, state, territory, and commonwealth initiatives in Australian schooling, the fourth annual national report provides commentary on the operation of school systems, priority objectives, the participation of students in schooling including equity initiatives, areas of student learning, outcomes, teaching, learning,…

Sixteen underachieving gifted students at Oliver High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were identified for a pilot program called Project Inspire, which sought to improve student achievement and build self-esteem, especially for disadvantaged Afro-American students. Teachers were selected as mentors for the students, and the mentors were…

An Arkansas project developed a model practical nurse program that offers a nontraditional approach to instruction. Computer-assisted and computer-managed instruction was integrated into the competency-based curriculum, and the model was to be replicated in other licensed practical nurse (LPN) programs. The project was divided into six phases:…

The Improvement of Job Placement Services Project was undertaken to examine and strengthen job placement services and programs in the California community colleges. Specific objectives of the project were to: (1) select and convene a 12-member representative advisory committee to oversee project operations working with the California Placement…

The Basic/Technical Literacy project at White River Vocational Technical School in Arkansas implemented a comprehensive curriculum to raise students' basic reading and technical literacy levels in their chosen skill area. During the project, master vocabulary lists for each skill area were developed, and self-test worksheets and study guides were…

A project was designed to maintain cooperation, coordination, and service between Ouachita Vocational Technical School (OVTS) in Arkansas and local businesses, industries, government agencies, military, and community-based organizations. Specific objectives were to improve community relations; increase campus involvement/commitment with business,…

Middle school students need to develop self-esteem, flexible and inquiring minds, relatively close human relationships, and a sense of belonging and purpose or usefulness. This paper discusses an effective middle school activities program at the Leawood Middle School in Leawood, Kansas, which helps meet these identified needs. The Leawood program…

Operation Bridge, a program which was developed by the Detroit Public Schools to train 13 adult advisors to work with adult education students in outreach sites and traditional adult education centers, is described. The selection process, the orientation, the coursework, the internships, and the application of training are discussed. The report on…

On-campus credit courses for the professional development of community college faculty have proven to be a highly effective means of improving the quality of instruction at McLennan Community College (Waco, Texas). If carefully designed, implemented, and evaluated, these courses can provide an appropriate alternative to faculty enrollment in…

A descriptive study examined in detail the student teaching experience in terms of the characteristics and behaviors of cooperating teachers, student teachers, and university supervisors. The interactions, personal and professional, between and among these participants were analyzed, as well as the contexts of the schools and universities in which…

A statewide study was conducted to identify and describe successful voluntary school desegregation programs funded under Chapter 636, a 1974 amendment to Massachussets' Racial Imbalance Law. Programs selected were of four types: (1) school-based (elementary, middle, and high); (2) school system- or district-wide; (3) part-time and full-time…

The Joseph Klingenstein Summer Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University (New York), was established in 1982 for 50 beginning independent school teachers who demonstrated outstanding potential. The Institute's purpose is to increase teaching effectiveness and to encourage career commitment. The three weeks of the Institute introduce…