ERIC abstracts on assessing educational innovations, announced in RIE through August 1972, are presented. The key terms used in compiling this collection are "educational innovation,""evaluation," and "evaluation criteria." The documents present materials on the change process, the choice and use of good ideas, and the development of assessment…

Suggestions are given for involving working class adults in various forms of adult education. The material is derived from practical experience of the Workers' Educational Association (W.E.A.) and the Institute of Extension Studies in Liverpool, where experimental methods were developed for involving the working class communities in central…

This document reviews the literature, previously cited in RIE, concerned with open plan schools. The open plan design is defined as one that encompasses large, open areas that shelter numbers of students, paraprofessionals, and teachers in a climate of daily change. Central to the discussion of the open plan concept is the consideration that a…

The possibility of developing a separate educational institution geared to the scholastic and interpersonal goals of the middle school grades has become a major challenge for educators today. It was to attain this ideal of developing the many possibilities for children in this age range that the concept of the middle school campus was designed in…

This report provides statistical and narrative data on innovative projects and methods developed in Fairfax County's Center for Effecting Educational Change. These study activities focused on effecting changes in the kindergarten, child study, fine and performing arts, and educational technology programs. A broad outline provides an overview of…

To meet the changing needs of its young people, Atlanta Public Schools searched for an organizational structure that would (1) permit more flexibility and individualization of instruction; (2) allow pupils to take one course, two courses, or a combination of courses and activities; (3) permit a wider selection of options; and (4) expand the school…

The paper presents an evaluation to determine the effectiveness of small student learning groups and, moreover, to identify factors that contribute to small group learning in the overall flexible modular plan. Fifteen schools comprising a total of 91 small groups using flexible modular schedules participated in the study. Techniques to determine…

Using cognitive dissonance theory as a model in the experimental design, the author investigates the effects on student attitudes of Black ethnic culture materials included in speech classes. One hundred eighty students in all-white speech classes from four Illinois high schools were placed in three categories--prejudiced, moderate, and…

La Guardia College (New York) is the only community college in the United States requiring its entire student body to participate in a work-experience program regardless of curriculum choice. This study, conducted by a team of selected consultants, is an assessment of the program based on onsite visits, interviews, and an array of reports and…

This document reports the experiences of organizational development specialists and compares organizational development with two other change strategies. Organizational development aims to increase the effectiveness of task groups in schools by teaching them how to communicate clearly, use systematic methods to solve problems, draw out and use…

Two educational models are described: Alternative S, the structured situation stands for security and sureness gained through the equating of system and structure and through organization which preserves the status quo. Alternative O, openness, stands for ongoingness, and opportune moments for growth. Values and latent dangers of these two diverse…

This report examines United States educational policies and focuses on the process of research and development for education. The report provides (1) a summary account of a meeting between OECD and American representatives, (2) an OECD examiners' report containing the questions submitted to the American representatives, and (3) the United States'…

Describes and illustrates some innovative programs and facilities that interrelate school design with the larger concerns of the community. (MLF)

Ten regional workshops were held for local educational personnel in late 1972 and early 1973. Teams of educators were selected from innovative school districts and oriented to the use of alcohol and traffic safety curriculum materials centered on student concerns. Five hundred eighty-seven participants attended from 49 states and Puerto Rico. The…

This paper describes the philosophy and operation of John Wood Community College (JWCC), located in Illinois, which uses neighboring private and proprietary colleges in Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa to provide instructional and support services for its students. Currently, six schools have contractual relationships with JWCC, with the result that…