Describes the development of a mentoring program that paired faculty and graduate students and changed the institutional environment for minority students, examining one black graduate students' reflections on the change and her struggle to adjust to the new, predominantly white environment. Discusses several issues that must be confronted when…

The National Science Education Standards (National Research Council 1996, "National science education standards." Washington, DC: National Academy Press) and various other national and state documents call for teachers who possess science content knowledge, employ an inquiry approach in teaching, and engage in reflective practices. This paper…

To give states the information they need to sustain hard-fought education reform effectively, Achieve conducted research on state education reforms that have been sustained successfully for over a decade or more. Funded by the GE Foundation, Achieve hopes this work will help other state leaders, wherever they may be on their road to reform,…

There are many factors that affect the design of effective professional development (PD) programs. This review of literature focuses on some of the theoretical models used to explain teacher change, the contextual factors that impact teacher behaviors and curricular change, and the role of continuous professional development in changing teaching…

This paper describes the initial efforts of the New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC), a private, nonprofit corporation created as part of the American 2000 initiative to fund the development of new designs for American schools. NASDC is currently funding nine teams to develop and demonstrate designs for high-performing schools.…

The papers in this volume, commissioned by RMC Research Corporation for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, were adapted to reflect the input of participants at a national conference in Washington, DC in June 1992 on middle grades parent and community involvement. Part I reviews the literature in five chapters that focus on the…

Arguing that whole language must assume a more critical edge if it is to reach its potential as a force for positive change, this book calls on educators to take action to protect themselves against threats from within and outside the whole language movement. Noting that the most obvious challenges are from critics who offer simplistic solutions…

The Inclusive Education Project was a collaborative demonstration project between the Division of Special Education and Rehabilitation at Syracuse University and the Syracuse City School District, in New York. It was designed to meet special problems of children with severe handicaps in regular education settings. Project goals included: (1)…

Current reform efforts in early childhood teacher education have recommended movement toward a child-centered learning environment that incorporates nongraded classrooms, cooperative learning, and parent and teacher control of schools. However, several barriers exist in achieving an effective, coordinated delivery system of early childhood…

This booklet is for parents who want to take an active role in improving the science program in their children's schools. The first section of this booklet argues that science should be a part of all students' education. The second section provides a vision of the curriculum and teaching in a classroom where students can gain the understanding of…

This guide may be used by charter school operators in developing a business plan that can be used as a management tool in individual schools and in preparing applications for charters, renewals, and grants and loans. A sound business plan must reflect the school's ideas, assets, and needs clearly and succinctly. Drafting a business plan begins…

Outcomes of a school improvement program begun in 1988 at Roosevelt Middle School in Eugene, Oregon, are described in this paper. The first part provides a background of the school's innovative process and program development. The second part outlines the school's major components of restructuring--a common vision and core beliefs, principles of…

This track of the 1993 CAUSE Conference presents eight papers on developments in computer network infrastructure and the challenges for those who plan for, implement, and manage it in colleges and universities. Papers include: (1) "Where Do We Go from Here: Summative Assessment of a Five-Year Strategic Plan for Linking and Integrating…

The University of Utah developed and implemented a project for curricular reform at its Law School called "Capstone-Cornerstone." It was designed to provide each year of legal education with a distinctive purpose and a logical progression in the acquisition of knowledge and development of skills, provide different levels of exposure to…

Redesign of teacher education is not a process to be undertaken except in response to carefully identified goals and objectives. It is essential to involve, in every phase of the process, those who will be most affected by the redesign effort. Prior to undertaking the task of redesign or reform however, it is important to identify the source of…