Students benefit when educators personalize a high school by developing a sense of community. A Puerto Rico international school employed middle-level concepts (interdisciplinary teams and advisory programs) to build community. Community-minded educators develop a definition unique to their school, know the characteristics of effective…

Evaluation of the metacognitive strategies used by four upper elementary gifted students with reading disabilities during a reading comprehension think-aloud task found that, although the students monitored their reading and reported use of evaluation, paraphrase, and regulation metacognitive strategies, they were not proficient in these…

This study compared the effectiveness and efficiency of using a small-group massed-trial instructional format to an individually administered distributed-trial format, both using the constant time delay procedure, in teaching eight preschool children (including three with developmental disabilities) to name pictures. Although all subjects acquired…

Describes a rigorous, individualized science curriculum in an alternative program that gives students some choice of what to study and provides them with their own time frame in which to work. Discusses design and implementation, high standards for all, and benefits and bonuses. (JRH)

A stimulated recall procedure was used to examine the instructional decision making of 19 expert special educators. Qualitative analysis indicated that a detailed and extensive knowledge base about students enabled these teachers to assess their students' academic and emotional states of mind and to address effectively the students' needs within…

Describes the growing nihilism in teacher education and the charge that special education is not special but rather good general education. Discusses the need for special education teachers to articulate what is special about what special educators do, or risk being seen as inconsequential. (CR)

Describes Preuss School, University of California San Diego, a grade-6-to-12 charter school for low-income students, the major goal of which is to prepare students to attend the university. Concentrates on four areas to address student motivation and engagement: teaching for understanding, professional development, personalization, and school…

Suggestions for tutoring students with reading problems include repeated reading with a model, oral reading with monitoring and feedback, error monitoring, and reading practice of difficult words. Evaluation methods include evaluating oral reading accuracy and oral reading fluency, and flashcard assessment. Suggestions are also offered for…

Describes principal's role in transforming the Yamato Colony Elementary School in Livingston, California, from low-performing to high-performing in four years. (PKP)

Technological tools (e.g., electronic data bases, computer-aided instructional software, interactive video systems, spreadsheets, simulation and modeling software, graphic calculators) can work toward making learning more independent, individualized, interactive, interdisciplinary, and intuitive. (DB)

Flexible pacing through the curriculum is recommended to meet the needs of able learners. Considerations in developing flexible pacing programs are described, including the influence of school policy, the population served, implementation strategies, staff selection and staff development, evaluation methods and results, and the role of support…

The seminar examined integration of blind children into regular primary schools in Argentina through defining the functions of the "integrating teacher" and the classroom teacher, specifying components of educational planning for the integrated blind child, and evaluating the importance of inter-institutional actions on integration. (DB)

A comparison of the theoretically enormous potential of computer assisted instruction (CAI) to individualize instruction with its limited present-day realization indicates that computers are limiting to students. Rather than attributing effective CAI to its mythical ability to tailor instruction, instructional developers should evaluate exactly…

A study of the effectiveness of Behavioral Relaxation Training, a simple relaxation technique not requiring awareness of internal states of tension, for individuals with moderate to severe mental retardation found the approach more effective than Abbreviated Progressive Relaxation for both individuals and groups. (MSE)

Describes a method of assessing students' actual reading processes, allowing teachers to suggest and model strategies for overcoming reading problems. Reports that the model works well with remedial readers in an individual setting and could be applied, with modifications, to a group of students. (RS)