Prior research has found the transition to high school to be a critical time for ninth-grade students. This mixed-methodology study investigated the experiences of a school-based team that provided programming and various support to ninth-grade students using the teaming model. The study utilized the following methods: 1) interviews, 2) historical…

This paper reports a pilot study to determine the potential impact of an integrated STEM curriculum on Pre-K teachers' engineering content knowledge, self-efficacy and teaching practice. Using a randomized control trial design, researchers examined the impact of the curriculum in 17 Pre-K classrooms (8 intervention classrooms, 9 control…

The purpose of this study was to analyze principals' perceptions of middle grades programs in public middle and K-8 schools in North Carolina. A comparison of principals' perceptions of middle grades programs is made by grade configuration (middle vs. K-8) and by school type (Schools to Watch (STW) vs. non-Schools to Watch (non-STW)). A comparison…

The implementation of the Houghton-Mifflin K-5 "Invitations to Literacy" language arts program was studied during its first year in California's Moreno Valley Unified School District. A sample teacher survey was developed, pilot tested, and sent to the District. The sample consisted of 658 regular, 20 special day, 19 resource specialist, and 118…

There is a need for leadership in the development of effective middle level schools in the United States. Despite the increasing numbers of schools that call themselves middle schools, there has not been much change in the educational program for pupils in grades 6, 7, and 8. Leaders in middle grades education need to examine current data about…

This document describes the curriculum philosophy of Lethbridge Community College (Canada) (LCC), which integrates several concepts: learning college principles, constructivist learning paradigm , BP'9700 directions, distributed learning characteristics, and curriculum components of learner, setting, and subject. This framework provides all…

In contrast to early research (such as Coleman's) that concluded schools could not override influences of the home environment, more current research indicates that schools can make a difference. This paper summarizes those research findings (emphasizing the limitations of the research from the practitioner's perspective) and relates them to new…

Results from the first year of implementation of year-round schools in a school district that educates students from a medium-sized city and the surrounding county are presented to add to the body of knowledge about year-round schools. Two single-track, year-round elementary schools (kindergarten through grade 5) were established in Durham (North…

Semistructured interviews were used to query school staffs, administrators, and school board members in this exploratory field study of successful high schools implementing an individualized program. Analysis of results suggest these possible findings regarding factors that may support or inhibit the implementation of innovations: (1) The most…

The purpose of this research study was to determine if the implementation of a social skills curriculum would have a positive effect on the performance of severely emotionally or behaviorally disordered students (SEBD). The program studied was the Boys' Town Educational Model (BTEM). Student performance was defined in terms of reading recognition…

Curricular domains relevant to work experience programs are motivation, sequencing, and goals. A case study of a project of institutional collaboration on peer counseling for work experience students (forming a consortium between a city school board of education and a community college) was made through data generated from the Youthwork National…

Multigrade grouping is the practice of intentionally grouping two or more grade levels in the same classroom to enhance learning. It is becoming a much discussed and implemented alternative grouping practice in middle level education. This paper describes the implementation process of two multigrade "teams" in two Florida middle schools,…

The StudyWorks Project was a 1-year unit of study designed for implementation with gifted/talented (G/T) students and developmentally handicapped (DH) students. The project involved four major areas of study (economic development, career education, social/interpersonal skills, and health/nutrition) and provided practical application of these areas…

Funded under the Nutrition Education and Training Program, Michigan's Project SNACK (Sharing Nutritional Awareness through Curriculum for Kids, K-6) is an adaptable model of nutrition education that focuses on staff development (trainer of trainers) involving the infusion of nutrition education into the regular classroom curriculum. During the…

This paper provides cross-site policy analysis of themes related to state education reform and the impact of state educational reforms on students with disabilities and special education programs. It analyzes state-level reforms in the general education policy areas of curriculum, assessment, accountability, teacher development, and governance and…