The social, economic and technological changes of the 21st century have increased the awareness of teachers and educational researchers of the importance of a relevant and interesting learning environment, collaborative learning, personalization and values in education. However, most of the currently available programs focus on only one of these…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe SPARK, an innovative elementary school that highlights the possibilities for elementary education as COVID-19 continues to unfold. Design/methodology/approach: The authors' analysis is based on a research synthesis of the main features of the SPARK model, as it was operating when schools in Arizona…

In the age of standardized testing, science and social studies are not given the same priority as mathematics and reading in the curriculum of United States schools. High stakes testing is viewed as having heavily biased schools toward teaching tested subjects and away from less frequently tested subjects. This paper is premised on the notion that…

Learning cycles were developed in Brazil as an innovative project in order to address the needs and characteristics of the country's growing heterogeneous urban population. This new school model aims at reducing dropout rates and student failure as well as providing a non-interrupted school experience for diverse learners. In this article, the…

The Optimal Learning Environments model, a center-based intervention approach for infants and toddlers with severe handicaps, has five basic components: (1) environments designed for severely handicapped young children; (2) use of microcomputers in instruction; (3) a transdisciplinary consultant-therapist approach; (4) individualized curriculum…

This article reviews the history of self-directed learning for the gifted and describes the Autonomous Learner Model (Betts, 1985) which includes a strong affective component, career development, and guidelines for a process-based scope and sequence. Guidelines are provided for developing independent study programs for gifted learners. (Author/CB)

This paper on interdisciplinarity and liberal education is based on the work of a task force of the Project Change in Liberal Education. The focus is those parts of the education process that bridge or integrate disciplinary approaches and create a different kind of learning that would still be liberal education. The following factors that…

Renne (Oregon) Intermediate School offers an innovative program of personalized instruction to students in grades 6-8. Teachers work closely with individual students, following a continuous progress curriculum which allows cross-grade-level placement in the core areas of math, reading, and language arts. Based on cooperative district planning, the…

Oaklea (Oregon) Middle School provides an innovative program of instruction to district students in grades 5-8. To facilitate this individualized approach, the school is divided into four smaller schools in which teachers and students spend four years together as students proceed through the instructional program. An important feature of this…

The article describes a group evaluation/individualized inservice model developed by a child study team at the Boys Town Institute for Communication Disorders in Children (Omaha, Nebraska). (SB)

Social work doctoral programs increasingly embrace an interdisciplinary orientation and structure. The strengths and weaknesses of interdisciplinary doctoral education are assessed. Six alternative models of interdisciplinary programs are identified based on the content of knowledge and the structure of the program, and the relative costs and…

PLAN Social studies curriculum attempts to assure that each student achieves educational objectives appropriate to his individual needs and interests. The guiding framework is presented in the form of a list of over one hundred long-range objectives (LRO's). The major objective areas are: inquiry, problem-solving and planning, affective…

The Anisa Model is presented as a way to educational reform and development. It is a scientifically based educational system that fosters a child's natural love of learning and helps him to become a confident and productive human being. Providing a comprehensive and interdisciplinary educational experience that will enable a child to develop to…

Teacher educators need to plan instruction with behavioral objectives; their selection of lesson content, teaching strategies, and student evaluation criteria should be consistent with these objectives. In the Florida State University model program, trainees are expected to reach the above goals by progressing at individual rates through…

Clinical Experiences and General-Liberal Education, two of eight major model components, comprise the major portion of this volume which also includes an overview of the program and a summary of all model components . (The remaining components are detailed in Volumes II and III, SP 002 429-30.) Sections I and II of this volume reveal a model…