This book presents the National Science Resources Center's (NSRC's) strategic planning model for bringing about district-wide elementary science reform in accordance with the National Science Education Standards. The NSRC model views the elementary science program as a cohesive system that includes: a research-based, inquiry-centered science…

A comprehensive review of research and professional literature on the development of year-round education in the United States is presented in this synthesis, with a focus on policy implementation issues in California. The first part presents an overview of year-round schooling and descriptions of California legislative mandates. Next, a…

Three examples of successful integration efforts in England are presented. Springfield Junior School in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, originally comprised three separate institutions--an ordinary junior school, a special unit for children with severe learning difficulties, and a special unit for children with moderate learning difficulties. The three…

Three activity booklets are presented for implementing Project EAGLE, an enrichment program for gifted and talented kindergarten children. The first activity booklet contains a poem by J. D. Evans titled "In Search of the Xanthus," which describes the search for an imaginary beast that leaves an "X" on the spot where it used to be. The second…

This interim report on the implementation of Australia's Child Support Scheme and its short-term effects analyzes the entry experiences of a sample of the first 6,000 registered Child Support Agency cases. In November, 1989, after 18 months of operation, commonwealth authorities had established an infrastructure that facilitated the continued…

Progress made by African governments toward improving their educational policies is described in this collection of papers, which were presented at a conference cosponsored by the World Bank and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Since the mid-1980s, several educational policy adjustment programs have been initiated in…

Outcomes of a series of meetings held in 1990 by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) Roundtable on Public School Choice are summarized in this document's six chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the components (including motivations, vision formation, leadership, the design process, and the types of choice available) involved in…

Findings of a case study that examined teacher perceptions of the implementation of a destreaming program, the "Transition Years," in a secondary school in Ontario (Canada) are presented in this paper. Interviews were conducted with the principal, vice principal, and 11 teachers in the school, which was engaged in restructuring its…

This paper examines the use of subsidy programs as a payment strategy for assistive devices for individuals with disabilities. The paper defines subsidies, classifies and describes these programs, and identifies commonalities and differences among varied models. Program models include: (1) competitive subsidies offered by private, nonprofit…

This conference proceedings reports on a 1989 meeting addressing respite care for families of children with mental, emotional or behavioral disorders. The conference addressed: (1) respite care concepts, programs, and issues; and (2) planning for designing, financing, and implementing state and local respite programs. The report contains the…

This guide describes intergenerational programs and provides ideas for initiating and implementing informal and formal interaction between youth and senior adults. Intergenerational programs can help dispel negative stereotypes that youth and older adults may have about each other. Successful programs provide rewarding experiences for both…

Information for planning and implementing drug-free school zones within a broader school-community prevention and intervention program is provided in this guidebook. The first section provides background information on drug-free school zone legislation and common elements of drug-free school zones. The risk and protective factors for alcohol and…

Outcomes of a school improvement program begun in 1988 at Roosevelt Middle School in Eugene, Oregon, are described in this paper. The first part provides a background of the school's innovative process and program development. The second part outlines the school's major components of restructuring--a common vision and core beliefs, principles of…

This paper describes the application of a Total Quality Management strategy called Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) to the projects and activities of an institutional research office at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. PDCA is a cycle designed to facilitate incremental continual improvement through change. The specific steps are…

This paper describes successful indoor adventure activities that are used in the Georgia correctional system for treating substance abuse with adolescents and adults. An experiential style of learning is appropriate for adolescent and adult offenders who have typically not done well in traditional settings and are usually slow- or poorly-achieving…