The literature relating to instructional improvement since 1978 is examined. After a review of implications of recent learning theories, it is concluded that theorists agree generally that: learning is enhanced when the student is active rather than passive; learning is improved by practice and feedback; learning is improved when directed toward…

Teachers and administrators preparing for small or rural schools need better preparation in the sociological and economic factors prevalent in nonmetropolitan education. Although each geographic area has different needs, educators must be made aware of the cultural, social, and economic factors of the areas they serve. Preparation programs for…

Empirical literature on the effects of intergovernmental grants on educational spending is reviewed in this document, which examines 40 published works covering the last two decades. Intergovernmental grants include both state grants to local governments and federal grants to state and local governments. The review's first section summarizes…

A model for the identification and analysis of student attrition within the North Carolina community college system was tested in 1980-1981.The three institutions selected to conduct the study--Beaufort County Community College, Edgecombe Technical College, and Nash Technical Institute (BEN)--named the project the BEN Student Retention Research…

College internship programs in a political science curriculum are discussed. After considering the perspectives of the university, students, faculty, and the government agency that serves as the learning site, a description is given of college internship programs that illustrate a variety of approaches at the following institutions: University of…

Recognizing the underrepresentation and poor academic performance of Mexican American students in mathematics- and science-based fields, the guide (1) reviews student- and institution-related factors contributing to mathematics and science declines, (2), describes selective secondary and college mathematics and science model programs, (3)…

A conceptual model is presented for the development of thinking skills by using an instructional model employing high level cognitive demands. "Distancing" is proposed as the concept to denote behaviors or events that separate the child cognitively from the immediate behavioral environment. Forms and functions of distancing behavior are…

An overview is provided of the activities and accomplishments of J. Sargeant Reynold Community College's (JSRCC) Urban Community Colleges Transfer Opportunities Program, which was designed to increase the number of minority students transferring to senior institutions. Introductory material highlights the means used to attain the program's…

A study of Michigan's Copper Country Intermediate School District was undertaken to identify ways nine small secondary schools with declining enrollments could increase educational opportunities for students by cooperative sharing. The 6-month study included analyzing data on each school, identifying factors which might constrain cooperative…

This report presents a description and evaluation of the Nature-Computer Camp (NCC), an environmental and computer science program designed for sixth grade students in the District of Columbia public schools. Inputs, processes and outcomes based on a Planning, Monitoring and Implementing (PMI) Evaluation Model are reviewed for each of the four…

Designed to supplement eleventh grade U.S. history textbooks, the self-contained activities in this student guide will help students learn about Polish immigration to America. Intended for use with an accompanying teacher's guide, the activities are organized around five themes: (1) the colonial period: early Polish-American influence; (2) the…

This essay presents an approach to substantial and long-range curriculum change in three stages: planning, implementation, and evaluation. Planning, to which three quarters of the paper is devoted, is defined as a deliberate, collaborative, continuous process of determining and providing for the most effective manner to implement a change. The…

Teachers should be viewed as decision makers who are required hourly to make serious value choices, who serve both individuals and society, who are in an institution where real power differentials exist, and whose learning and teaching responsibilities are increasingly supported by an empirical research tradition requiring highly situational…

A model high school accounting cluster program was planned, developed, implemented, and evaluated in the Beaverton, Oregon, school district. The curriculum was developed with the help of representatives from the accounting occupations in the Portland metropolitan area. Through management interviews, identification of on-the job requirements, and…

Designed for Head Start grantees, this book provides training guidelines for improving Head Start staff competency. Chapter I offers a rationale for staff training activities, while chapter II characterizes the Head Start trainee. Chapter III addresses assessment of training needs on program and staff levels. The development of a training plan is…