The New Standards Project, attempting to create an assessment system comprised of performance exams, portfolios and projects, may not have fulfilled its promise to create a national system of tests worth teaching to. However, NSP did deliver high- quality professional-development opportunities for hundreds of teachers across the nation. (Contains…

This article summarizes how an organization designed and implemented a quality improvement infrastructure and an effective outcomes-based management system. Stages included: assessing the organization's current status and planning for buy-in, initiating data collection, ensuring data integrity, utilizing data in clinical assessment and…

Teachers in a Spanish/English dual language elementary school in Tucson (Arizona) promote Spanish literacy using a school-designed program. The schoolwide, nonscripted program has been successful in supporting the transfer of reading skills from Spanish to English and in including special education students in dual language schooling. (Contains 33…

Some colleges and universities claim they can't find "eligible" African-American undergraduates to recruit into science and engineering graduate programs. Those that find and enroll students sometimes fail to graduate them. Experts who are succeeding say it is primarily a matter of will. Statistical and anecdotal information are used in…

Explores benefits derived from the "Gardendale Family" (a vertically aligned team of K-6 classrooms). Describes how older students give guidance, feedback, and validation to those in lower grades as the younger children become active members of the literacy community; and how students use written and oral language in authentic and…

This study evaluated a professional development program for 179 Australian teachers, teacher aides, and speech pathologists working with students having severe disabilities. Emphasis was on their role as communication partners in the implementation of strategies to enhance students' communicative behavior. Teachers and teacher aides reported…

Comments on the new National Council on Economic Education standards and calls for more clarification and detail as well as additional standards. Argues that the almost-exclusive focus on principles-based standards ignores that need for explicit skill standards. Discusses possible difficulties for social studies teachers not trained in economics.…

A psychoeducational support group program was established for aging parents of 30 adult offspring with developmental disabilities, of whom 17 resided with the parents. This article describes the program's development, parents' self-reported objectives for participating, comparison of parents with and parents without their offspring at home, and…

Describes the various components of the Success for All Program (SFAP) and provides a detailed review of its effectiveness in improving the academic accomplishments of students placed at risk, including English-language learners and special education students. It also compares SFAP with Reading Recovery programs. Results of evaluations of 23 SFAP…

Highlights the differences between American and Australian undergraduate economics instruction and indicates those aspects of the American teaching model likely to be adapted. Specifically, Australian teachers favored deemphasizing the traditional lecture/tutorial model in favor of a more student-oriented approach. (MJP)

Reviews post 1980 research on inclusion and the effectiveness of special education in general and argues that there is no compelling evidence showing that placement, rather than instruction, is the critical factor in student academic or social success. Research reveals a clear need for special education programs and does not support full-time…

A meta-analysis was conducted of 14 studies examining whether whole-language instruction increases the reading skills of low-SES students in grades K-3. Evidence suggested that low-SES primary school children do not benefit from whole-language instruction, compared to basal instruction. Findings indicated that there may be some advantages to the…

Examines the Boundary Breaking Leadership Development model's applicability to a cross-cultural travel study program for Canada and New Zealand graduate students in two university educational-administration programs. Evidence found in students' journals, field notes, reflective commentaries, and survey data revealed substantial emotional learning…

Describes a web-based teaching practicum guidance model designed to support Taiwanese computer science student teachers with teaching support and updated information on new technological advances. Online discussion forums were developed to facilitate students' collaborative learning and reflective thinking. Examination of 29 student teachers…

A study analyzed factors affecting peer assessments of faculty quality and program effectiveness using the 1993 National Research Council graduate program survey. Results indicate determinants for faculty quality and program effectiveness are very similar. Further, programs in private institutions and/or institutions with more highly rated…