Provides a synthesis of related research and literature on implementing innovation at the school and classroom levels. The key factors affecting implementation include the nature of the intended change, contextual factors of school organization, and the roles of teachers and change facilitators. Recommendations for effective practice are offered.…

A teacher's identity is shaped by direct work with individual students, not by paperwork or competitive tasks. Teacher empowerment is grounded in teacher motivation, with emphasis on teacher-student relationships. Empowerment depends on relating new roles and decision-making tasks to classroom work, recognizing teachers for success with difficult…

Two radical ideas evolving from the school choice movement are teachers in private practice and charter schools. Private practice appeals to entrepreneurial teachers who offer districts the best bet for accountability. Under a charter school initiative, a state allows enterprising people to own and operate their own public schools. Advantages,…

Addresses the development of different curriculums and approaches to implementing Montessori programs at the middle school level, including a humanities-centered approach, interdisciplinary minicourses, master-apprentice programs, and team teaching approaches. Maintains that Montessori middle schools must move beyond the experimental stage and…

Describes the activities of the Lake Country school in Minneapolis, cofounded by Larry Schaefer in 1976 with the goal to create a Montessori school for children aged 2.5 to 18. In 1982, the school began a junior high program, with the goal to help adolescents think and learn for themselves. Discusses characteristics and needs of early adolescents.…

This article proposes that preparation of a sponsored research proposal is a reasonable alternative to the doctoral dissertation as a means of demonstrating scholarly ability. The skills needed to complete a dissertation are seen as similar to those for developing, writing, and submitting a major proposal for federally sponsored research. (MSE)

Outcome-based education (OBE), which grew out of the mastery learning movement, calls for determining the skills, knowledge, and habits of mind students need in preparation for life after graduation. The article describes the history and implementation of OBE and provides a list of OBE-based resources. (SM)

Twelve students writing essays for a photochemistry course at the Open University of the Netherlands received either audiocasette or written feedback. Time spent in recording versus writing feedback differed minimally. Recorded feedback was considerably greater in amount. Students' final grades did not differ, but recorded feedback was more…

Discusses the issue of choice in education in the context of San Francisco's 15 alternative public elementary schools. These schools draw more committed students, parents, and teachers, and they create a sense of community often lacking in the public schools, yet they are less socioeconomically integrated. Calls for more exploration of the…

The American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business has endorsed new accrediting standards to be phased in over two years. Revisions combine mandatory requirements for all business schools and flexible standards based on self-defined mission, reflecting the view that quality and diversity are compatible and desirable. (MSE)

Examines environmental education history. Discusses environmental change agents. Promotes value of field trips, role models, and persuasive speech as emotive tools for environmental educators. Describes "teachable" moments, unusual experiences of empathy with nature. Recommends poetry as tool for creating experiences. Includes several…

Governor's schools are described as innovative programs to accelerate or enrich the learning of gifted and talented students in terms of aptitude development, conceptual development, and personal and social development. Findings from the Tennessee Governor's Schools illustrate program outcomes and program effects. (JDD)

Discusses the academic computing movement during the 1980s, focusing on the Faculty Workstations Project at Brown University. Six departments are compared: chemistry, cognitive and linguistic sciences, geology, music, neural science, and sociology. Discusses the theoretical implications of the study for conceptualizing the relationship of…

Argues that insights from scholarship in the sociology of science can provide a powerful basis for making science education more authentic and inclusive. Describes how adopting sociological ideas can provide unique opportunities for students. Contains 46 references. (DDR)

Describes an innovative science program for girls developed by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Girl Scouts of America (GSA). Presents results from the model project. (DDR)