A 1-year study determined what students were doing as they engaged in the Chelsea Bank computer software simulation activities. The major goal of the analysis was to build a knowledge base for the development of assessments that would guide instruction and focus teachers and students (in middle-level and high school classrooms) as they used the…

This paper presents findings of a study that evaluated the effectiveness of an in-school suspension program (ISSP) at a suburban Atlanta high school. Data were derived from a questionnaire that explored staff's and students' perceptions of the effectiveness of the ISSP. Responses were received from 70 staff members and 190 students. Fifty percent…

The thesis of this paper is that, in evaluating most innovative educational projects that are conducted in schools, tenets of formal experimental design and associated inferential data analysis methods should be given limited emphasis. The basis of this thesis lies in the problems and difficulties that undermine the design and implementation of…

This report presents highlights of a seminar which focused on solutions emerging at the local and state level to keeping troubled families together. Comments by these panelists are summarized: Elizabeth Cole, a consultant to many family preservation projects; Kristine Nelson, a researcher on the social work faculty of the University of Iowa; Bill…

This paper offers a synthesis of the existing research on school-based mediation or conflict-resolution programs. Studies of programs in the following six areas are described: Poughkeepsie, New York; New Mexico; Colorado Springs, Colorado; New York City; Chatham County, North Carolina; and Greenfield, Massachusetts. The following elements of each…

A study addressed the general issue of whether or not a touring college drama production would somehow stimulate greater interest, on the part of elementary teachers and students, in the use of drama as a classroom learning medium. Specifically addressed were whether (1) educational gains would be realized; (2) data would show measurable gains in…

Examination of four programs in which young people have consistently excelled shows common elements, despite differences in setting, population, and goals. The four programs, which exemplify problem solving, peer counseling, community service, and communication respectively, include: (1) the Youth Action Program in New York City, a community…

This document profiles locally developed programs that have proved effective in specific schools. The material is presented in a manner that is useful to other schools and/or districts. On-site coordinators worked with schools, districts, and departments in the Pacific region to define their problems, determine which of the practices held promise…

Intended primarily for researchers and prevention program personnel, this booklet provides current background information on the continuing problem of smoking among children and adolescents. In the first brief section, research findings concerning American youth's current smoking patterns and beliefs are described. The second section considers…

Two of America's most serious problems--crime and illiteracy--converge in our prisons. The majority of prisoners have serious educational deficits. Although prison educational programs exist, they are often ineffective because of poor program development, lack of administrative support, or small numbers of prisoners served. One innovation in…

The paper describes a pilot project in which 17 hearing impaired adolescents are participating in a program to improve thinking skills via the Instrumental Enrichment (IE) approach. IE focuses on concepts by suggesting alternative strategies by which the learner can arrive at the objective, thus allowing for opportunities to reflect on one's own…

Through a comparative analysis of nine urban school improvement projects, it illustrates the association between patterns of constituent collaboration in the design of intervention projects and problem solving strategies and the degree of mutual adaptation, incorporation, and sustained project effectiveness. Many of the barriers to school…

The High School Self-Renewal Program is a multiphase program designed to facilitate individual school improvement. This case study illustrates the use of the Renewal process by a school that had no existing Renewal resources, such as funds, or released time positions for the research, development or implementation of projects. Renewal activities…

The article discusses the extent to which the Adult Education Association has achieved its objectives since its founding in 1951. Differing points of view are considered, professional publications described, criticisms recounted, and areas of impact cited, with the theme that the organization is as strong as its members make it. (AJ)