College/University administrators have, for various reasons, scrutinized Physical Education basic instruction program (BIP) requirements for possible reduction. In an effort to defend these requirements, assessment should be undertaken to obtain objective and subjective data that measure a program's effectiveness. This study was conducted at a…

This article illustrates the implementation of a school reform policy for educating young children in one south eastern state in the US, a reform known as the non-graded primary program. The reform is examined through the lens of Sabatier and Mazmanian's [(1981). "The implementation of public policy: A framework for analysis." In D. A. Mazmanian,…

Collaboration for some English teachers has proved to be the key to effective professional development. Teachers working together on evaluating the effectiveness of a writing workshop in the high school classroom have helped them gain knowledge about their beliefs and practices.

Improving Science Education 5-14 (ISE 5-14) is a national programme in Scotland, which looks to both integrate and improve approaches to learning and teaching in science from early years to early secondary and beyond. The ISE programme is a response to some concern about Scottish science education, over the past decade, which led to a strategic…

This article describes the positive outcomes from the Philadelphia-based Educating Children for Parenting (ECP) program, founded in 1978, which aims to take advantage of children's fascination with babies and their easily triggered emotional investment in learning how to care for them. The program brings a parent and infant into the classroom…

Many distinguished leaders and innovators in higher education who are calling for curricular reform in order to increase student engagement and retention cite learning communities as a powerful model for change. In this article, the term "learning communities" refers to "the purposeful restructuring of the curriculum by linking or clustering…

This paper considers evidence from an intervention designed to raise standards in spelling and independent writing. "The Complete Spelling Programme" (McMurray and Fleming, 1998) is designed to ensure that all processes involved in learning to spell are activated and that the interaction between them is facilitated. In addition, a number…

This study analyzed how one teacher used contemporary children's literature to supplement middle-grades geometry. The teacher's students were matched to students in other classes on general reading, general mathematics, and geometry. Student and teacher interviews, observation notes, and video tape recordings provided insights into fluency and…

The U.S. Army has been conducting a variety of management education programs for commissioned officers. In both its traditional and its new distance education programs, the Army has established a goal of improving critical thinking and reasoning skills among its students to prepare its future leaders and managers more effectively for the…

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of high-stakes tests on teachers' instructional practices. Data were obtained from a survey instrument given to a stratified random sample of Mississippi social studies teachers who teach the same content that is tested on their state's high school graduation examination. An analysis found…

The PDA was originally conceived of as a portable handheld electronic device that provided a user with a tool to organize his or her life through easy access to a personal calendar, daily planner, and address book. Over the years, these devices have expanded to include many new functions, which have helped more applications in diverse fields. This…

Professional development has moved from the periphery of teachers' professional lives to center stage, clearly recognized today as one of the key factors that shape teachers' ability to reach and teach all students successfully. To be effective, any professional development program must pay close attention to changes in teacher classroom…

The author was startled by the carelessness and selectivity of Robert Slavin's comments, which give his words the ring of a promotional release rather than of intellectual reflection. He agrees that Slavin is accurate in saying that the scores on reading tests at P.S. 65 in the South Bronx improved during a period in which, among a number of other…

Whether through movies, stories of immigration, or a myriad of other out-of-the-box ideas, teachers are finding ways to help immigrant students create new futures in a new country. This article looks at schools around the country to find truly creative strategies for teaching immigrant students that work for ESL specialists and regular classroom…

This paper examines the ways in which the results of the OECD Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) have influenced educational discourse in Germany. It argues that the results caused shockwaves in the educational landscape and led to a re-evaluation of other international comparisons which had presented an unfavourable picture of…