Constructing school facilities requires a multitude of considerations. Outlines a suggested sequence of processes and events that will be helpful in the three- to four-year planning phase. (MLF)

A study of undergraduates found that grades, class year, focused academic library activities, informal faculty interaction, active course learning, and conscientious writing resulted in gains in critical thinking, suggesting that academic librarians should design library-research-skills courses to increase student-focused use of the library and…

The study analyzes the achievement trends of all third grade students in the state of Illinois who scored in the Exceeds category in reading and mathematics on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) in the year 2000. ISAT performance of this cohort group of students was followed through the eighth grade. Descriptive analyses were utilized…

This paper offers facts and figures on Utah's education status for 2009. This paper contains the following: (1) Core CRT Language Arts Testing, 2008; (2) Core CRT Mathematics Testing, 2008; (3) 2008 Public Education General Fund--Funding by Source and Expenditures by Function; (4) 2008-09 Public School Enrollment Demographics; (5) Public Schools…

This curriculum unit teaches students about nationalism within the context of Europe and is designed to help better understand the history of Yugoslavia and why Yugoslavia fell apart. The unit focuses on Yugoslavia as a multinational state and how the federation was organized during different historical time periods. There are three lessons in the…

Sorting practices in the public schools place students, especially those from poor and minority families, at risk. The "talent-development" model is based on the assumption that all students, with adequate support, can learn. This report describes outcomes of the first Talent Development High School, which was established in September 1995 at…

This computer skills curriculum guide contains activities for the public schools of North Carolina; these lesson plans are designed specifically for grades 6-8 and focus on spreadsheets. Lesson plans for each grade include a list of materials needed, lesson time, teacher preparation activities, outline of activities, and instructional measure. For…

This paper examines the relationship between a school's grade configuration and student performance in Louisiana. Student performance was measured by academic achievement (standardized test scores) and student persistence (attendance, suspensions, expulsions, and dropouts). Elementary schools, middle schools, secondary schools, and combination…

Geographic illiteracy is prevalent in schools today. The objectives of this practicum were to increase 85 percent of the target group's geographic knowledge by 40 percent and to increase parental involvement with the academic success of the student by 40 percent. Activity sheets were created covering political boundaries, landforms, neighboring…

A three-year study was conducted to evaluate the implementation of the Transitional School Model in the Des Moines, Iowa, Independent Community School District. The model was designed to provide early adolescents in grades 6-8 with a more comprehensive bridge between elementary school and high school by emphasizing students' physical, emotional,…

This document provides tables of enrollment and staff data among nonpublic schools in New York. One of the 11 tables compares public with nonpublic school enrollment. Most tables include notes of explanation and of criteria used for categorizing schools. Tables included are the following: (1) Nonpublic School Enrollment by Level and Affiliation,…

This review of the effective schools literature focuses on six teaching factors: the nature of instructional materials, lower versus higher order skills, classroom reinforcement practices, teacher selection, teacher training, and individual versus whole-group instruction. Different from earlier studies, the review concentrates on specific…

Using four large existing databases on student performance in the elementary grades, this study involves a task-by-task, year-by-year cross-sectional analysis of six topics in computation. Information about what students eventually learn and when they learn it is provided by the data analysis; information about when skills are introduced and…

A comparison of seventh and eighth graders' behaviors and achievement in K-8 and junior high schools shows K-8 students performing more favorably in all areas. Students in nine K-8 schools and nine junior high schools in the City School District of New York City were compared on reading achievement, attitude toward school, students' self-esteem,…

A new framework for designing qualitative studies is described to optimize the emergence, representation and presentation of insights. The framework, called Reflection Methodology, is presented as a "Conversational Paradigm" that includes four components--interviewer (researcher as participant); child, task situation, and observing…