Although many proposals were disappointing and the New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC) did not achieve its multimillion dollar funding goal, the contest sparked an unprecedented collaborative process across the nation. The evaluation and selection processes were problematical, as judges seemed to favor well-known educators with a…

Responding to the call for reform in American graduate teacher education programs, the authors of this paper examine the design of a teacher action research-based approach in which teacher inquiry lies at the heart of individual courses and the program as a whole. The authors report on the transformation of program graduates from teachers to…

This paper discusses curriculum reform in Italy. Teachers should offer a global approach to education while teaching civic education to students. Referred to as "making culture," civic education should contain content that satisfies the criteria of validity, significance, interest, and student learning. Schools should create new…

To what degree and in what ways are students exerting influence in the shaping of teacher education programs? This study reviews the history of the Student N. E. A. and the activities through which local chapters participate in program design. (Editor)

From a businessman's viewpoint, the New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC) offers a singular opportunity to help this nation create a Saturn-like experience for education, school by school. As Saturn revolutionized the way cars are built, NASDC can revolutionize the way children are taught. The 11 winning projects have real potential…

Presents an overview of the articles in this special issue and defines scaling up and externally developed school reform. Key elements for successful scaling up are highlighted. (MMU)

A recent report published by the National Center on Performance Incentives (NCPI) presents findings from the second-year of a multi-year evaluation of the Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) program, a statewide educator incentive program that operated in Texas. As part of this larger study, evaluators examined how participation in the TEEG…

Have you developed mini-course programs, only to have them sputter and die or merge with the routine curriculum? The guarantee for success is a continuation of inservice and evaluation, says this author. (Editor)

Urges the marketing education profession to begin a serious analysis of marketing teacher education. Presents recommendations to direct teacher education activities in the future and four issues of concern to the author: leadership for teacher education reform, marketing teacher education programs, consolidation of "little" teacher education…

This article uses both theoretical knowledge and practical reality associated with the implementation of school improvement as data sources for determining what is desirable for staff development. (Authors)

The Co-Nect (Cooperative Networked Educational Community for Tomorrow) project is a winning K-12 design with 3 components: a restructured school community featuring self-managing clusters of students, teachers, administrators, and community members; a radically transformed curriculum based on key-concept projects and seminars; and a flexible and…

Our current education system is based on Fordism, a mass production model that separated narrowly skilled workers and centralized resources. Michael Hammer's principles of flexible design (which include developing a cross-functional perspective, organizing around outcomes, encouraging worker self-sufficiency, combining information processing with…

The National Center for the Accelerated Schools Project at Stanford University has recognized that district-level change is necessary if changes at accelerated schools are to gain permanence and become widespread. The Center has therefore initiated a research and development project to design a set of models on which districts can reconstitute…

The professional development of teachers is seen as a key to improving instruction in mathematics. A position paper on Professional Development Programs for Teachers of Mathematics was endorsed by the Board of Directors of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in April 1985, and this handbook provides suggestions for implementing the…

The basic "key design features" of the programs include increased program flexibility, self-contained instructional packages known as modules, and performance based and cognitively supported skills. (Author)