This publication summarizes an academic review paper on preschool effectiveness, "Lottery Evidence on the Impact of Preschool in the United States: A Review and Meta-Analysis" by Jesse Bruhn and Emily Emick. The 44 papers summarized fall into three categories: studies of three model preschool programs begun in the 1960s known as…

In choosing the slate of winners for innovation grants totaling $650 million, the U.S. Department of Education decided to invest heavily in big-name teacher-training and school turnaround organizations while reserving one-fifth of the money for more-experimental programs it believes show promise. Last week, the department announced that 49…

Many school districts are putting data to good use, although much of the data used in administrative decision making ultimately derives from standardized test scores, which raises a host of other related concerns. The author's purpose in this article is not to critique the types or sources of data that administrators use, but to suggest that there…

Although the failure of open education experiments are often attributed to declining reading and mathematics scores, overwheming class sizes, and practical difficulties in implementing theory, the examination of a particular open education program in a suburban New York school district points to other possible reasons for the program's failure.…

Project MACK's major goal was to provide a comprehensive school program at McClymonds High School in Oakland, California that would reduce the dropout rate, improve student achievement, reduce absenteeism and class-cutting, and improve student attitudes toward school. Project components included 1) Career Cluster Program, which focused on work…

The University of Denver has developed an approach to residence hall living that is designed to significantly increase the positive effect of the environment on the student. Two residential programs complement the classroom environment by housing students with like or related academic interests and providing equipment related to the students'…

A study was undertaken to examine and strengthen the examination system at Hampshire College. During the study the college was in its third and fourth years of operation. The system, known as progress by examination, is comprised of six diagnostic and evaluative meetings between students and their faculty to determine their eventual satisfactory…

This Teacher Corps program at Michigan State University is attempting to improve the quality of preservice teacher education within a competency based framework. The program emphasizes consistent use of instructional design and the instructional processes of assessment, goal setting, determining objectives, developing teaching strategies, and…

Characteristics of three experimental programs used to compare participants to each other and to a group of students in the regular curriculum are identified: development of logical thought, broader educational development and career development, and academic characteristics. The programs and their evaluations are described. (Author/MLW)

The University of New Mexico established an innovative learner-centered, problem-based, community-oriented medical education program that runs parallel to the traditional program. The programs both fostered acceptance of the experiment and permitted comparison of results. The innovation resulted in higher achievement and reinforced interest in…

Three documents describe the Project Success Environment Program, which was funded to help alleviate behavioral and academic problems of children from urban, low-socio-economic backgrounds by providing them with an opportunity to experience success in school. The program, sponsored by the Atlanta Public Schools, consisted of: (1) a positive…

After discussing the controversies surrounding attempts at "external" performance contracting--agreements negotiated between local educational authorities and private educational firms--this document describes five "local" programs--agreements negotiated between a local educational authority and its own teachers--involving nine school districts.…

The system discussed in this paper was successfully used to track approximately 17,000 students participating in various educational programs and to measure their gains through achievement test results. It was developed for a school district with twelve supplementary instruction programs, and has been in use since the 1975-76 school year. The…

This report describes the first 3 years of three Excellent Beginnings projects from 1991 to 1994 funded by the Plan for Social Excellence, a private nonprofit foundation that creates or supports innovative pilot projects in education. Programs that are flexible and responsible to needs of individuals and communities, rather than system-wide…

Students enrolled in an organic chemistry course were given a diagnostic inventory according to the SCRAPE model. Information was obtained on 11 motivational personality variable and three attitudinal variables for students in both computer-based instruction and regular instruction sections. Descriptive statistics were obtained on each instrument…