The "whole language approach" has generated much controversy among educators, who have agreed on the importance of language in the early years but have not reached consensus on the most effective approach to employ. Whole language is viewed as a developmental process. Research, conducted since the mid-1980s, has shown that whole language is an…

With little attention paid to the way barriers to learning are addressed, many students are unable to take advantage of instructional improvements. During 1998 a nationwide coalition of organizations was established which focused on how to enhance policy cohesion in the area of barriers to student learning. This report provides information for…

This paper provides information about strategies that high poverty urban elementary schools have used to initiate major reforms in their processes and structures and to share the process used to elicit information from these schools. A research study analyzed the experiences of six high poverty urban elementary schools in Massachusetts, New York,…

This guidebook was developed to help businesses provide high-quality worksite learning experiences for students. It combines experiential knowledge from experts with that of mentoring programs across the country to reduce the task of planning and implementing quality worksite learning experiences to a logical process. The book offers guidance for…

Part of a series about research-based programs that show promise for raising student achievement (especially in low-performing schools), this paper describes seven promising reading and language arts programs. Each program shows evidence of high standards, effectiveness, replicability, and support structures. The paper opens with a brief…

Federal workforce development policy is being turned upside down. New governance structures, new systems of service delivery, new concepts, and new programs are being introduced and implemented throughout the United States. This publication is designed to facilitate participation in this revolution-in-progress. Three key federal initiatives that…

To be effective, technology cannot exist in a vacuum, but must become part of the whole educational environment. New measures of evaluation are under development which would help to better define the role of technology in its wider context. This ERIC digest summarizes the observed benefits of technology implementation and addresses the importance…

This guide is designed to help trainers working in the context of community-wide programs in all aspects of building a training program for study circle facilitators. Part 1 presents guidelines and principles for good training, basic training agenda for a 6-hour program, and annotated training agenda with notes about the process in each section…

This report is a brief analysis of information from 47 states and non-state jurisdictions on use of the eligibility category, "developmental delay," for children up until their tenth birthday, as permitted under the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Relevant policy issues and concerns are also discussed.…

This report raises fundamental issues that must be explored by educators considering participative decision-making as part of an educational restructuring initiative. In analyzing district readiness to implement a shared decision-making model, several factors must be considered, including school culture and climate, leadership style and attitude,…

Six thematic activity booklets are presented for implementing Project EAGLE, an enrichment program for gifted and talented primary-level children. "Animals 3" introduces endangered animals and locates their home areas on maps or globes, using nine learning activities involving science and creative writing. "Magnets" discusses…

In anticipation of federal welfare reform, the Texas Department of Human Services developed and implemented the REFOCUS program, designed to enhance the economic self-sufficiency of English-as-a-Second-Language recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) through better use of existing education, job training, employment, and…

This booklet is designed to assist community colleges in the design and implementation of staff and organizational development programs and reviews relevant issues and provides practical ideas for successful development efforts. After chapter I briefly introduces the audience for and intent of the booklet, chapter II describes 12 development…

This report describes the initial efforts at Whitworth College (Washington) to provide all faculty with updated skills on how to help student writers. The first chapter describes the background of the grant that was obtained to fund the 2-year faculty development program. The second chapter discusses the theory and practice of writing across the…

Findings from a Massachusetts Department of Education project to describe district-led experiences with school-based management and to identify factors for improved classroom practices are presented in this paper. Interviews with 12 superintendents and assistant superintendents involved in systemwide restructuring were conducted to learn about…