Some organizations are having difficulty with the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach. Problems appear to come from reliance on prepackaged TQM programs, large-scale, diffuse implementation, mass training programs, measurement paralysis, overemphasis on tools, process selection, outmoded reward structures, and simplistic views of change and…

Examines choices made by educators implementing cooperative learning today, expanding the pragmatic consideration of what works to an exploration of what we want for students from cooperative learning. Realizing the potential of cooperative learning requires examining the roles of teachers and the roles of schools in shaping society. (SLD)

Discusses ways schools must restructure to provide school-linked services. Education personnel must learn to work with other agencies and to expand the boundaries of their efforts. Practical implications of school-linked services are illustrated via reference to the New Beginnings program of the San Diego (California) city schools. (SLD)

Discussion of the increasing demands being placed on teachers and schools focuses on the effectiveness of teacher-librarians as change agents. Topics discussed include information technologies; making effective use of information; resource-based learning; the successful implementation of educational change; and qualities of instructional…

Outlines steps used in implementing Project ASSIST [Aiding School Systems in Establishing SAP (Student Assistance Programs) Training], a culturally sensitive, school-based, peer helping program for Native-American youth that addressed substance abuse. Data from a needs assessment and program evaluation indicated that more successful schools had…

Arizona allows charters to be granted by local school boards, the state board of education, or gubernatorially appointed boards. Regulatory loopholes allow multiple campuses, private school conversions, and outside-of-district charters. Market-based choice depends on political support, a strong state government, and enormous parental and teacher…

Describes how a Reality Adjustment Program involving interactions with prison inmates stresses the consequences of decisions made during adolescence and the program's impact on four highly angry students for whom other interventions had failed. Suggests that by offering a variety of anger-related programs, middle level educators can learn what…

Widespread dissatisfaction caused a Nevada district to reexamine and revamp its teacher-evaluation process. The new system, which assumes teacher participation in goal setting helps teachers become self-reflective practitioners capable of adjusting their practices, has four domains: planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction, and…

An inclusive kindergarten class of students with and without hearing impairments is described. The "Education Together" program used total communication, a combination of whole language and basal instruction, behavior management techniques, and extensive teacher collaboration. Issues such as communication problems, discipline,…

Explores the cases of two states, Louisiana and Ohio, which found budget problems to be the occasion for concerted statewide efforts to improve academic library services. Both states ultimately established statewide multipurpose resource-sharing academic library consortia, supported by electronic library networks, as the solutions to their very…

Describes a peer coaching program used during the implementation of an inclusive education program within an elementary school. The peer coaching helped develop/enhance teacher skills necessary for implementing inclusion and monitored and responded to the needs of teachers in the project. Recommendations for staff developers, teachers, and peer…

This article provides a case study (an eighth-grader with autism) within a case study (an urban middle school) in terms of the implementation of positive behavioral support (PBS). Information is provided on the characteristics of three key components of schoolwide PBS, universal support, group support, and individual support. (Contains…

Through a continuum-of-services approach, the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) provides numerous enrichment and acceleration alternatives designed to accommodate the academic strengths, interests, and learning styles of all middle-level students. Major components include the total-talent portfolio, curriculum modification, and enrichment…

The Tools for Understanding Project moves noncollege-bound students toward varied, integrated experiences with literacies required for success in the work force. The program excels at teaching higher order thinking, linking instruction with communication, and giving students practice in problem-solving (raising funds for a field trip). (MLH)

This article describes a two-phase community and academic collaboration funded by the California Collaborative Research Initiative to develop and test the feasibility of an innovative HIV prevention program relevant to the needs of the population of inner-city Latino teen parenting couples and realistic for implementation in community settings.…