Explores the reasons why this generation's educational reform period is lasting much longer than previous reform periods. Examines several promising programs for improving students' learning. Argues for valid teaching methods and programs and for highly reliable implementation methods. In a high-reliability organization, schooling designed by…

Oasis High is a small, effective, alternative school that helps high-risk students beat the odds. Staff actively nurture students' growth. Success depends on student ownership, a family atmosphere, a nontraditional school building, effective counseling, a well-equipped computer lab, on-site day care, varied teaching methods, and a noncoercive…

Significant changes in the planning and designing of Japanese public elementary and secondary schools are in response to key educational and social changes. Among these are energy and ecology consciousness, lifelong learning, an aging society, and advancement of information technology. Characteristics of a new secondary school are described. (MLF)

Although portfolio assessment offers exciting alternative to traditional testing methods, ensuring accurate representation and measurement of student performance is challenging task. As Vermont's experience shows, reliability of teacher evaluation is very low, and setting acceptable standards is difficult. Before adopting portfolio approach,…

Reviews small-scale, exploratory research into British schools' management of concurrent educational reform innovations generated by government, local education authorities, and the schools themselves. Describes changing innovations patterns, key factors influencing their adoption and implementation, the central management strategies employed, and…

Reviews some of the attitudes and activities basic to the National Writing Project's Technology Network. (SR)

For nearly 20 years, a Delaware school district has been building and evaluating an inclusive classroom model, Team Approach to Mastery. Resource rooms were gradually eliminated, and disabled students were educated alongside their nondisabled classmates. Mainstreaming strategies included team teaching, learning centers, ego groups (to develop…

Discusses the use of homework journals, which allow (1) students to write down their assignments; (2) parents to check these assignments; (3) parents and teachers to write notes or comments to each other, giving them a form of two-way communication concerning the progress of students. (MDM)

Introduces a flexible strategic planning model consistent with the somewhat chaotic environment of most British schools and applies this model to the management of multiple innovations in schools. Reviews schooling context, summarizes relevant research, identifies key factors affecting planning, discusses links with existing decision-making…

The 1936 curriculum was an important innovation in the history of Belgian primary education. According to a recent study, educational practice did not fundamentally change. Personal tensions and rivalries, lack of continuity in educational policy, and failure to involve teachers in the decision-making process greatly inhibited the new curriculum's…

The Family Support Act has given new impetus to adult education through collaboration with welfare systems to provide adult literacy, high school equivalency, and English proficiency classes for welfare recipients. (SK)

Analyzes the perceptions of students, teachers, and external observers in order to study the influence of classroom environment on the implementation of an innovative project in science education. Contains 33 references. (DDR)

Describes the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Statewide Systemic Initiatives Program (SSIP) and its intent to improve math and science education at state levels. Discusses changes in the administration of the program, failures, and successes. (WRM)

Although educational improvements have occurred over the past 30 years, few have had optimal effects. Three functional areas (teacher-organization-intervention) jointly influence an innovation's success. Realization of innovations appears to be more influenced by subjective experiences and culturally bound opinions than by well-managed…

This response to McWilliams (EC 623 401) concerning controversial practices in the treatment of young children with disabilities suggests that social-validity assessments be conducted as well as objective measurements. Strategies are offered for discussing treatment alternatives in terms of objectives, acceptability of procedures, effectiveness…