The changing role of research in curriculum development since the late 1950's is reviewed. Factors are discussed that have affected the prevailing attitudes toward research and its value, including its role in fields other than education and the mixed success with which various research and development models have met in education. Particular…

To develop a list of research priorities for rural education, members of the Rural Education Association's (REA) Research Committee and Executive Board were asked to rank order nine thematic research categories. The ranking process resulted in the following list (starting with the highest priority): (1) rural school effectiveness; (2) staff…

Most recent initiatives to improve teaching may be characterized as top-down, compliance-oriented policies that seek to increase accountability and regulate different aspects of the profession. Little regard has been paid to the development of assistance programs at the state level that aim at building capacity among teachers and local school…

Neuropsychological research can provide a basis for learning how to interpret test data to help solve the problem of how to teach children who fail to read. Insights from brain research can be joined with diagnostic efforts and cognitive, language-based models of reading processes in order to move toward individual assessment and away from…

The development of a language development program for limited-English-proficient Spanish-speaking students in a New Mexico junior high school are described. Initially, the program was organized in response to sudden heavy enrollment of non-English-speaking students, and was intended to teach them English. In subsequent years, through application…

This perspective on how testing and evaluation data are used and could be used for school improvement is based partly on the experience of the Austin (Texas) Public Schools and partly on their goals. Four conditions are necessary for the effective use of evaluation information: (1) real need; (2) trust in the evaluators and in the information…

The school improvement movement during the past decade has, among other things, provided educators with realistic data on how effective schools got that way. One of the most basic findings is that successful schools have five common characteristics: principals who provide strong administrative and instructional leadership; high expectations,…

In order to contribute to the refinement of methods for assessing the adequacy of program implementation, this study investigated data collection efforts made during the implementation of ALERTA, a bilingual, multicultural preschool curriculum model. Comparisons of results are made with those of previously conducted studies of program…

Effective teaching was the focus of a great deal of research during the 1970s. Many relationships between how teachers teach and what students learn were identified. Findings emerged from studies using a wide variety of methodologies. Thus far, findings from the research on teaching have been used primarily to improve the instruction of inservice…

A study was made to determine to what degree teachers, trained in the use of the Hunter Instructional Model, appropriately used the skills and strategies taught by the model, and what influenced the application of the learned skills in the classroom. Fourteen first through fourth grade teachers in two elementary schools participated. The…

This study was undertaken to: (1) develop a schema from an analysis of research information on child development from birth to three years of age with literature sharing implications for library programs; (2) query librarians in the United States who offer early childhood literature sharing programs about their program practices and attitudes via…

This review of literature concerned with technological innovation and innovation process research is divided into five general parts. Part I defines basic concepts and terms and outlines major analytical themes. Part II develops the individual and organizational dimensions within which innovative activities take place. In Part III, the sequence of…

The goal of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Educational Research and Dissemination Program was to establish a model for dissemination of educational research to classroom teachers. Research findings focusing on classroom management and teacher effectiveness were translated to individual teachers by Teacher Research Linkers (TRLs) who had…

Interviews were conducted with 30 teacher educators and the chairperson or dean in 6 undergraduate teacher education programs to investigate their use of research in teacher preparation. Among the findings was evidence that faculty typically learn about research through journals and conferences and discuss research most often in context with other…

The relationship between the social structure of knowledge systems and knowledge syntheses is explored in order to define the social and cultural requirements for effective linkage. Following an introduction (section 1), analysis is divided into 5 additional sections. Section 2 discusses tools for conceptualizing knowledge systems, including…