This practicum project implemented a program designed to improve the motivation to learn among fourth- and fifth-graders in a fast growing, industrial community surrounded by prosperous farms in northern Illinois. The problem of low motivation was documented by systematic classroom observations, teacher interviews, and student surveys. Analysis of…

This paper presents preliminary information from the first part of a long-term study of curriculum development in a sixth grade classroom in Hawaii. It describes: (1) the teaching practices implemented; and (2) the literacy attitudes and habits that developed within this environment. A ten-year veteran teacher with teaching experience across the…

Contextual learning--also known as "learning by doing, experiential learning, real-world education, or active learning"--has long been advocated for students. In practice, however, schools often offer the opposite: individual learning, independent of tools, dependent upon symbols, and theoretical. Today the school-to-work movement has…

This paper consists of a transcript of the testimony of the Director of Early Childhood Services at the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) before the U.S. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources on April 21, 1994. The testimony addresses the issue of improving the connections between early childhood programs and public…

This compilation of 19 articles provides ideas and solutions for creating and improving family, community, and school partnerships. A broad variety of topics are covered including: (1) ideas for celebrating American Education Week; (2) 10 tips for family reading; (3) reading aloud to older children; (4) using take-home folders to inspire…

Linking employers with educational institutions in order to improve education and educate students who can do jobs is important in the Philippines. Program linkages include the following: (1) industry involvement in policy formation through employer groups on education boards; (2) regional and provincial education boards having private industry…

The Urban Teacher Education Program (UTEP) is a project of Indiana University Northwest (IUN) and three urban school districts (Gary, East Chicago, and Hammond, Indiana) to develop novice teachers, continue professional development among experienced professionals, and provide a forum for research on teacher education. Following discussion of the…

This newsletter includes six articles related to the Regional Resource and Federal Centers for Special Education Network and its efforts in the area of standards and accountability. In "Teacher Training and Skills: Necessary Ingredients for Standards and Accountability," John Copenhaver discusses ways in which the Regional Resource and…

This study evaluated a project for integrating preschool- and school-age children in a joint educational program. The integration project (SKOBO) has been implemented in all education units in the investigated municipality. Each school has, however, had a considerable degree of freedom in carrying out the program with the potential to find its…

This handbook presents the essential components of a comprehensive family service system for low-income families. It shows, through the documentation and description of two low-income African American communities over 4 years of development work, the types of information that should be collected about community functioning so that informed…

An evaluation of this Syracuse, New York workplace literacy skills improvement project had three purposes: to characterize changes in the baseline performance of adults' workplace literacy skills as a function of instructional treatment; to characterize changes in workers' and supervisors' perceptions of worker effectiveness as a function of…

This case study examines a 2-year faculty-centered professional development program for high school teachers. The program, which used a Foxfire approach (Wigginton, 1986) and was based on Deweyan principles (Dewey, 1963), involved having the teachers initiate, pursue, and share self-selected, independent group learning projects. Inservice sessions…

This paper chronicles the transition and adjustments of a teacher educator and a group of preservice teachers from the application of the case study method in their university classrooms, to their preparation for and participation in a national team case competition, to the impact of this experience on their subsequent personal and professional…

The Nevada Council on Occupational Education (NCOE) recommends that the following agencies/organizations continue to bear responsibility for third-party (private sector) assessment and monitoring of vocational education and job training programs in Nevada: State Job Training Partnership Coordinating Council, private industry councils, state…

This book is a collection of essays by full-time classroom teachers who describe their efforts to implement the vision of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards documents and to empower their students in mathematics. Chapter 1, "Students' Conceptions of Mathematics and the Challenge of the Standards" (Dorothy Buerk),…