To assess the extent to which the results of implementation studies relating to elementary and secondary schools were generalizable to vocational education contexts, a study of two specific curriculum innovations in vocational education was undertaken in Western Australia. It was designed to yield information about the context of curriculum…

This paper describes the development and implementation of plans to establish professional development schools (PDS) in West Virginia. The conceptualization of this project began with consultant recommendations and faculty discussions at West Virginia University (WVU) concerning needs for reforms in teacher preparation and in the public schools.…

The understanding and management of the changes called for by fundamental restructuring are discussed in this sixth guidebook in a series of nine video conferences on school restructuring. Offered are a summary of school improvement over the last 30 years, a systems framework for individual and team changes, and strategies for organizational…

This collection of teaching units, developed by the National Women's History Project, includes biographies of women who have made significant contributions in each of 12 different language arts areas. The topics covered include poets, nonfiction writers, fiction writers, and doing research on women writers. Each unit gives a brief biography of the…

This fourth volume of a four-volume evaluation of the 1988-89 New York City School Community Education Program (also known as the Umbrella Program) comprises reports evaluating six innovative projects that offered a variety of educational experiences to participants. Three of these projects were designed for prekindergarten children; the other…

The American educational system faces a critical need for restructuring. Social lag problems created by the transformation from an industrial to an informational society have affected U.S. institutions, especially education. Educators and policymakers must respond to the new economic, demographic, organizational, and educational forces which have…

Although there are many sources of information about "effective schools" programs, those that specifically address the needs of rural areas are often overlooked. This document offers a collection of program descriptions to help educators determine programs and practices that appear to be effective in rural and small schools. Program…

This report is based on discussions and papers circulated at a seminar on barriers to innovation in primary schools. Issues that relate to computers and the teacher are discussed in the first section, including ownership of the technology and models and strategies for inservice teacher education. Focusing on issues pertaining to computers and the…

A description is provided of the rationale for, objectives of, and unique and innovative features of St. Petersburg (Florida) Junior College's (SPJC's) Interdisciplinary Studies Program (IDS). First, the paper discusses the national context of renewed attention to the liberal arts, the higher education milieu in Florida, and SPJC's general…

Three scenarios are offered for the future of teaching. The first includes reforms such as requirements for a full liberal arts program for teacher candidates, a fifth year of professional education, a carefully supervised induction, and tests of subject-matter knowledge, professional knowledge, and performance. The second scenario examines the…

Open universities are analyzed from the perspective of innovation in higher education in the areas of organization/administration and curriculum/instruction. Examples are drawn from open universities internationally to illustrate what was intended to be innovative, what worked out as innovative, and what turned out unexpectedly to be innovative.…

A consortium of high schools and colleges in northeast Ohio (Coalition for the High School of the Future), which was formed to revitalize the learning experiences offered at each high school, produced a low budget videotape to generate interest in its proposals for educational reform. The primary objective of the tape was to expand awareness of…

America's urban schools have come under pressure for their racial segregation and for a rigid traditionalism which alienates many students. Magnet schools have been established in several cities to attack both of these problems with attractive innovative educational programs which are intended to draw students of different races as volunteers.…

In preparation for a major research study on change in schools, a 3-month pilot study of principals in 10 schools was conducted in central Texas. The main purpose of the study was to investigate different ways to document the actions taken by the principals to facilitate implementation of innovations in their schools. In this paper, the procedures…

A review of the literature on staff training for individuals working in programs for limited-English-speaking students suggests that eight characteristics should be considered and developed in a training plan: governance, needs assessment before program planning, analysis of local and other resources, determination of training objectives, trainee…