This book is a collection of ideas submitted to the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) by elementary and middle school principals of 1996-1997 Blue-Ribbon Schools selected by the United States Department of Education. Each of the ideas presented offers a way for the teachers to raise students' reading levels and give them…

A teacher who had directed a K-12 language arts program at the Alamo Navajo Reservation in Magdalena, New Mexico employed problem-solving skills that involved the affective domain as well as the sensory-motor areas important to education even in older children. This teacher's classrooms are heterogeneously grouped. A thematic approach is used…

This study looks at the higher education learning needs of population subgroups by reviewing research concerning the classroom experiences of minority group students and women. The importance of addressing these questions is raised by the current and expected growth in ethnic minorities in the United States. Findings indicate that Black students…

The project described in this article examined the connection between students' overall development level as measured by the Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Inventory (SDTLI), and their participation in either part-time, on-campus employment or volunteer membership in the Stamp Union Program Council. A group of 141 students (from a total…

This review examines the psychological variables that influence academic performance, by exploring the psychosocial development of students and the individual differences that emerge in childhood and impact upon a student's later self-concept. Areas discussed include identity and achievement issues, gender differences in identity achievement, the…

Romania, one of the largest but also one of the poorest nations in Eastern Europe, is moving toward a market economy and a pluralistic society. Romania's educational system reflects a failure to appreciate the value of general secondary education over early specialized vocational training. Basic schooling is compulsory through grade eight, but…

In 1991 a committee was created by Iowa's Legislative Council to study issues related to the reform of Iowa's education system and examine the status and future of education in Iowa. The committee also analyzed nationwide trends and, based on their findings, developed a comprehensive blueprint for school transformation in Iowa. This blueprint…

This practicum was designed to help third grade students develop critical thinking skills of application, analysis, and synthesis in social studies activities. Teachers were unhappy with the teaching of social studies as it existed. Among the contributing causes were the lack of a critical thinking program, an over-dependence on commercially…

Students must be informed about what is going on in the United States and the world. They must be able to understand, analyze, and evaluate what they hear and read. Newspaper and magazine editorials are excellent sources of argument and information for class study. Genuine understanding of written material requires thinking during reading.…

This paper addresses the involvement of students with severe communication disorders in school curricula. First, current best practices regarding eligibility for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) services are addressed. This is followed by a discussion of whether students who use AAC systems should be educated in regular or special…

This study examined the functional relationships among motivation, perceived classroom environment, and student satisfaction, for three major curricular groups: arts and leisure programs, personal development programs, and professional development programs. The sample included 1,180 students enrolled in noncredit courses at the College of…

This paper reports the results of a study involving over 2,000 college faculty members concerning the course goals they hope their students will achieve as a result of the material taught, the teaching technique, and the general intellectual environment in the classroom. The common interest of most instructors is the desire to develop the…

The effect of an ability-based curriculum on student development was studied at Alverno College, a liberal arts women's college. Data were obtained from 990 participants representing students, alumnae, and working professionals who were not Alverno students. Sixteen research instruments were administered to a sample of 200 students over their 4…

This document presents a model for student organization development, defining in detail the central conditions for the CORE model (Cohesion, Organization, Resourcefulness, and Energy); and provides an assessment tool, the CORE Conditions Checklist, for checking the extent to which these conditions are present in organizations. The CORE model is…

Career development theories provide useful ideas for understanding career indecision, but neglect of a measurement of career indecisiveness has caused confusion. To examine the relationship between trait indecisiveness, vocational uncertainty, and interpersonal characteristics, 325 freshmen students were tested with a Trait Indecisiveness Scale…