A decentralized teacher-coaching model has been adopted by several Los Angeles-area school districts through an initiative called Design for Excellence Linking Teaching and Achievement (DELTA). DELTA encourages coaches and beginning teachers to develop a personalized support plan, and stresses one-on-one relationships and support, not evaluation.…

In a Long Island school district, foreign-language study is part of every elementary school student's curriculum in grades 2 through 5. More than 90 percent of sixth-graders choose to study a language and have the chance to participate in 7-year and advanced-placement programs in these languages. (MLH)

Studied Comer's School Development Program (James P. Comer) in 23 middle schools in Prince George's County, Maryland. The study, involving repeated measurement with more than 12,000 students, shows that Comer schools implemented some of the program's central elements better than control schools did, but not all, or even most, of them. (SLD)

Comments on a study of Comer's School Development Model, indicating that the study, as conducted, was not a study of the model but a limited study of the effects of one application of the model's process. In addition, the evaluation was carried out over only 2 years for each group, when experience shows that at least 3 years are necessary to show…

Describes the development of the Watch, Discover, Think, and Act asthma self-management computer program for inner-city children with asthma. The intervention focuses on teaching two categories of behaviors: asthma specific behaviors such as taking preventive medication, and self-regulatory processes such as monitoring symptoms and solving asthma…

Describes a New Mexico high school's method of handling advanced-placement courses in a 2X4 block schedule that raises passing rates, compensates for loss of contact time, and gives most students opportunities to take desired AP courses. AP electives demand prerequisites and are scheduled only during spring semester. (MLH)

A carefully designed independent study program is a quick, efficient way to fill gaps, redeem mistakes, and create solutions for seemingly impossible problems. Success depends on understanding students' different situations, using proper supervision, requiring a paper trail, juggling multiple options, getting teacher support, and guaranteeing…

Provides an overview of practical methods and tools for assessment planning and implementation for service learning and civic engagement projects conducted by colleges and universities. Offers suggestions to help readers design their own program assessment plans. (SLD)

Examined the development of the Kentucky nongraded primary program at the state level and in six rural elementary schools from 1991 through 1998. Findings show changes teachers made in response to the program mandate and reveal issues that hampered implementation, including entrenched ideas about grade divisions. (SLD)

Describes the success of an Indiana school district in implementing a major technology initiative. Presents 12 strategies for implementing such an initiative, usable as a framework for schools about to invest in technology (or for those with stalled or dysfunctional programs) and applicable to programs of varying size and scope. (SR)

Discusses innovative information services, including new services and the redesign of existing services. Describes the development process, including assessing the market and developing a marketing plan; and explains the implementation process, including monitoring client satisfaction and quality control. (LRW)

To assist college business officers in developing a distance education approach, addresses four questions: (1) Why pay attention to distance education? (2) How might distance education be structured at your institution? (3) What role should you play in distance education? (4) What risk do you take by not becoming involved? (EV)

Presents the concept of instructional program coherence and explains why school improvement frameworks that incorporate instructional program coherence are more likely to advance student achievement than multiple unrelated efforts. Presents some evidence that Chicago, Illinois, elementary schools with stronger instructional program coherence make…

Explores why learning communities have become so pervasive in higher education and the challenges faced by the learning communities movement, including challenges of student learning and faculty development, diversity, institutional change, and purpose. (EV)

Discusses Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) that converts existing telephone lines into digital circuits which transmit data at 256Kbps to 7 Mbps. Describes ADSL, unique features of "Megabit Services" and initial deployment, costs, and impact on library services (extra bandwidth for Internet services, multimedia or other…