The paper addresses problems teachers of the severely hearing impaired have in being bimodal (speech plus signs) English role models as well as in using American Sign Language. The project described in this paper centers around inservice training and in-class demonstrations of the use of a modified form of Signed English to provide a visual…

The school/community improvement process adapted by the Rural, Small Schools Program at the Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL) serves to revitalize and improve rural schools, incorporating commitment of both school and community leaders to rural school improvement. This paper describes implementation of the process in four school districts,…

In a nation where only about half of high school students go on to 4-year postsecondary institutions, vocational-technical education plays a critical role in preparing thousands of people for their first work experience and in retraining thousands more to take full advantage of new job opportunities. As part of the educational reform movement of…

Model demonstration projects have developed and implemented a wide range of services to facilitate the transition of youth with handicapping conditions from school to work or to postsecondary educational settings. Factors pivotal to the continuation of such projects after federal funding ceased were studied. Data on 58 sample projects were…

The Materials and Assistance in Science Teaching project carried out a model program for improving science teaching in all 125 elementary classrooms in the Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District of Northern California. The project was a cooperative activity involving Sonoma State University and the school district, with funding shared by…

This report reviews existing proposals pertaining to pre-paid college tuition programs among the states. Four major program formats are reviewed: the trust approach, the education IRA (Individual Retirement Account) approach, the tuition certificate approach, and the savings bond approach. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are…

This book was developed as a comprehensive guide to rural education resources, exemplary programs, and products. The guide is organized according to federal regions (1 through 10) and offers almost 200 citations. The cited agencies and programs, including departments of education, schools, resource centers, and outreach programs, are organized by…

There is little doubt that the findings of research in science education can be depressing at times. The literature is replete with reports and research findings which highlight problems and shortcomings associated with the teaching and learning of science. In order to provide a refreshing alternative to the majority of research reports which…

The 1988/89 New York City high school Inquiry Demonstration Project (IDP) met or surpassed its evaluation criteria. The IDP comprised the Urban Academy, a laboratory school serving high-risk students, and an on-site staff development program in seven high schools. The overall goal was to promote the use of the inquiry method in the classroom. The…

Providing disadvantaged youth with the training to continue their education or to obtain meaningful, long-term employment has been hampered by lack of funding, inability to meet the multiple needs of at-risk youth, and the difficulty of recruiting at-risk youth to participate in programs. This report describes and recommends nine employment…

The State Employment Initiatives for Youth (SEIY) demonstration was designed to test a model approach to state-level planning and local programming for youth at risk of chronic unemployment using existing public resources. As an initial step, the demonstration required that the governor in each of three participating states--Massachusetts, South…

This report contains four case studies on "skill ownership" demonstration projects that were conducted in Great Britain as part of the Youth Training Scheme (YTS) initiative. The aim of YTS is to develop a work force that is competent, flexible, and capable of adapting its skills to new and changing types of employment. The case studies…

The quality of education received by children in the southern states will be greatly impacted by technological change, which will present educators with both unprecedented opportunities and substantial risks. As the four model programs described in this paper illustrate, advances in telecommunications and computer hardware and software can be used…

An exemplary prekindergarten television program, developed by the Brownsville, Texas Independent School District, is described. The program, intended for Spanish-speaking four-year-olds, is an alternative to providing an in-school program necessitating classrooms, teaching staff, materials, and equipment. The program prepares students for formal…

This is the final report of a two-year study of exemplary mathematics programs in the United States. The schools chosen were selected on the basis of test scores above national norms, test scores above expectations for particular subpopulations (e.g. women, minorities), participation in critical courses, participation above expectations for…