A Tennessee elementary school's adoption of a looping program, allowing teachers to stay with their classes for two years, resulted in improved student confidence and teacher/parent relationships. Looping places less pressure on young students to learn all curriculum objectives in one year. Lessons and benefits are summarized. (MLH)

Argues that using functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to identify individual factors that may be contributing to a student's behavior problem and building a positive behavioral-intervention plan will produce effective disciplinary practices. Components of successful implementation of FBA and overarching challenges to the use of FBA are…

Argues that, in addition to teaching reading skills, teachers need to schedule time for children to practice reading. Presents specific guidelines for implementing a Sustained Quiet Uninterrupted and Independent Reading Time (SQUIRT) program which include how to find time, set a purpose, and set procedures. (NH)

A genuine, ethical public-relations program must not center around capitulation in the face of criticism from particular persons or interest groups. Nor should it be directed at propagandizing or browbeating the public into submission. Instead, PR programs should strive to achieve mutual understanding via symmetric, two-way communication. (9…

Three Chicago schools have adopted the Junior Great Books Program, allowing students and teachers to mine a wide range of literature on themes of fairness, justice, cleverness, greed, love, friendship, and respect. Program success hinged on engagement, shared leadership, professional development, and a multiyear adoption plan. (MLH)

Examines implementation of two problem-based learning seminars at a university administrative-credential program. Students worked in small groups to complete a program involving human-resources management and technology use. Students found content and process relevant to their administrative work, saw patterns in their own growth, and learned to…

A New York State middle-high school course on gerontology was evaluated through a survey of 1,276 family and consumer sciences teachers (318 responses). Only a small number have incorporated the gerontology elective, many who teach aging topics spend one week or less on them, and a small range of topics is covered. (SK)

In UK schools, improvement is demanded and expected. The 10-year-old Quality of Education for All project, emphasizing both structural and cultural change at the school level, has achieved demonstrable success in diverse school contexts. Insights on the theory, process, and practice of school improvement are discussed. (MLH)

Discusses internal and external change agents' roles in school improvement, drawing on England's Moving Schools project. Effective external agents or cadres work not just in the school, but in the classroom. Conceptual organizing, a whole-school viewpoint, commitment to action, and teacher development linkages are key to supporting cadres.…

Examined the political rise and fall of the Louisiana Teacher Evaluation Program (LATEP), the centerpiece of the state's educational reform efforts. Study findings suggest that the political problems encountered by LATEP arose from competing program theories and competing implementation theories. Findings underscore the pitfalls associated with…

A case study of three programs in British secondary schools (Somerset Thinking Skills, Instrumental Enrichment, and Philosophy for Children) affirmed the difficulty arising from the lack of immediate concrete outcomes from thinking-skills lessons. Teachers' perceptions had a significant influence on effective implementation of these programs. (SK)

Describes the significant challenges encountered during the implementation of the Integrated Information Center (IIC) at the University of Minnesota. These challenges were of three kinds: (1) those in the environment and beyond the control of the project; (2) those in the mission of the project; and (3) those inherent in the design of the IIC.…

Describes the implementation in the Fall River (Massachusetts) Diocese of "AIDS and the Arts," an elementary school intervention program designed to increase students' decision-making capacity, broaden their knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and teach responsible social behaviors. (YKH)

Describes five case studies of high-performing public schools that have organized professional resources in innovative ways. Outlines principles of successful resource allocation. Presents a framework and methodology for examining a school's current use of resources. (MAK)

Purchasing custom-made desks with durable glass tops to house computers and double as student work space solved the problem of how to squeeze in additional classroom computers at Johnson Park Elementary School in Princeton, New Jersey. This article describes a K-5 grade school's efforts to overcome barriers to integrating technology. (PEN)