According to one survey, good elementary schools have a strong sense of purpose and are committed to teamwork and staff development. A school board can instigate major improvements by developing a clearly stated policy affirming district commitment to sound early childhood education practices. A sidebar summarizes five characteristics of good…

This feature discusses the diminishing number of female administrators, coaches, and officials involved in girls' and women's sports, the reasons for this decline, and strategies to increase the number of women in athletic leadership positions. (IAH)

Effective schools research indicates that a good plan for school improvement grows out of the school and the school system in which it will be used. Outlines 11 components of a school system's improvement plan, and current educational trends to take into account in developing the plan. (MLF)

Eight articles examine the impact of rising costs of serials and monographs on library services. Topics covered include crisis management strategies; insights from the vendor's perspective; the particular problems of research institutions; the impact of tight budgets on technical processes; and options for cost savings through resource sharing and…

Description of the viewpoints of two experienced teachers who were implementing a novel computer program in grades five and six focuses on three main issues: learning to accommodate changes required by innovation; organizing new classroom routines; and indications of students' achievements. Curriculum content and computer literacy are also…

Harvard University Law School's redesigned first-year curriculum is organized to convey the tradition of the first year and also to allow for the introduction of alternative ways of knowing, in response to changes in legal reality. Coordinated teaching, "bridge periods," and newly developed materials characterize the changes. (MSE)

Describes the development of a multicultural awareness program for Montreal bus drivers that was designed to improve their attitudes toward and services to multicultural customers. Highlights include participant contributions; criteria for selecting instructors; the importance of a trustworthy instructor-facilitator; management participation;…

Studies the effectiveness of a free-time contingency on reducing the frequency of interruptions of 28 students in a residential treatment center high class room. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of implementation, use of peers for data collection and impact on the target behaviors. (FMW)

Reviews the changes in the Japanese social studies curriculum during the past 40 years. Summarizes the goals for a new curriculum as set forth by the Council for School Curriculum (Japan). Reports reaction to this proposal and points out inadequacies in the suggested scope and implementation of materials. (KO)

This historical examination of the educational placement of visually impaired students focuses on the dual curriculum of instruction in academic areas and in disability-specific skills. Program placement involves assessment, identification of instructional needs, and consideration of placement alternatives. Models of service delivery and…

The Dade County, Florida, school system selected 32 schools to participate in a pilot program for shared decision making. Evaluators found similar problems and solutions in a variety of school settings and classified them into 9 categories. (MLF)

Examined efficacy of group counseling for adolescents from divorced families, investigating effects of participation in group sessions on adolescents' self-esteem and locus of control orientation. Results indicated that, compared to controls (N=30), program participants (N=30) had higher post-test levels of self-esteem and possessed a more…

Contrasts the communicative approach to foreign language teaching with a proposed cognitive-anthropological approach. The primacy of comprehension over action is argued, and topics are listed for foreign language/culture study that correspond to universals of human experience proposed by anthropologists. (Author/LMO)

Overviews the development of assessment practices, including "pupil profiling" of the 1970s and the "record of achievement" movement of the 1980s, and their impact on current student evaluation practices in Scottish schools. Criticizes current assessment efforts for stressing accountability and competition rather than focusing…

This article discusses ways practitioners can assure that gifted students' needs are met within the context of educational reform, including ensuring that general education reform efforts have positive outcomes for gifted students, sharing the experiences and strategies of gifted education with reformers, and considering new roles and…