Describes the development and implementation of meaning-based reading instruction for a group of sixth-grade students with special learning needs. Provides details as to program design and describes a sample session. (SR)

The use of focus groups to assess existing college student leadership efforts and as a step in developing better programs is examined. Procedures include assembling a planning team, identifying information needs, determining the composition of focus groups, soliciting and training volunteers, and using focus group results to design a program. (MSE)

Includes "Community Education (CE) Development in the States" (Clark, Zemlo); "State of the States" (Clark, Zemlo); "In Support of State-Level CE Development" (Decker, Romney); "CE in Florida" (Hanley, Robinson); ""CE in Kentucky" (Christenson, Whitus); "CE in Minnesota" (Kerns,…

Summarizes Virginia Tech's educational reform activities inspired by the NASSP Alliance project, focusing on improved mentor training for faculty, the positive influence of assessor training on curriculum design and delivery, practitioners' increased involvement in program planning and implementation, consortium networking's effects on information…

Presents the T-H-E-M-E-S system for designing interdisciplinary learning activities for middle school students. Participating teachers are urged to think up a monstrous list of themes, hone the list and group themes into three manageable lots, extrapolate selection criteria, manipulate and process themes, expand into activities triggered by…

Dance education offers the opportunity for students to learn effective communication skills, gain self-confidence, and increase awareness of different cultures. At the heart of any quality arts education program is a sound curriculum that provides all students with sequential instruction and helps them achieve arts literacy. An introductory dance…

The Americans with Disabilities Act demands a proactive approach in developing effective and integrated adventure education programs for the disabled. Programs cannot exclude qualified disabled individuals; modified participation is a choice, not a requirement; and staff must work toward removing physical barriers and providing reasonable…

Addresses teacher needs during peer coaching trials, reviews peer coaching program features, and proposes a model to guide future planning, evaluation and research. The coaching program's critical components include classroom assessments, coaching team cluster meetings, and administrative support. Interrelations among components are discussed. (SM)

Presents a rating scale for evaluating programs that are working to include students with high-incidence disabilities. The scale evaluates 12 general components with 47 items. Its use in over 50 schools in Florida to aid in program development, program monitoring, program evaluation, staff development, and parent education is described. (DB)

Describes development of the "M-Quality" program at the University of Michigan: a continuous quality-improvement approach tailored to the school's plant operations. Discusses the program's planning stages and the problems encountered and lessons learned from the process. (GR)

Tells about the creation of the High School Geography Project. Beginning with a statement of problems faced by geography instructors, the story continues by examining the creation of project objectives, development of an overarching structure for lessons, and discussion of the project's success. Suggestions for contemporary curriculum design are…

Describes an experimental program in educational administration offered at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, focusing on program implementation and evaluation. Provides a set of changes in a small leadership-training program. The program and its changes serve as models for adjustment in small leadership-preparation programs, particularly…

Summarizes findings from a quantitative and qualitative longitudinal study examining the twelve-year evolution of a district-wide Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE) program. Chronicles changes during the period, identifying factors that influenced particular developments and relating them to aspects of DBAE theory. Concludes that program…

Addresses issues in special education of incarcerated youth with disabilities including: (1) prevalence rates of disabilities among juvenile-delinquent populations; (2) problems in providing special-education services to incarcerated youth; (3) developments in case law concerning delivery of special education to this population; and (4)…

Illustrates the benefits of an aggressive library program of regularly scheduled and professionally curated art exhibitions and related events. Describes the Visual Arts Program at the Pacific Beach branch library (San Diego). A sidebar by Debra Wilcox Johnson discusses libraries' development of cultural programming for adults. (AEF)