A partnership between Wayne State College, Wayne (Nebraska) community schools, and the local chamber of commerce produced fiber-optic telecommunications, Internet access, technology integration, automated libraries, computer networking, and a technology curriculum. The article describes project design, implementation, and growth, as well as…

Case studies of six high schools identified eight features that promote the success of language-minority (LM) students: (1) respect for students' languages and cultures; (2) teachers' high expectations of students; (3) LM as a leadership priority; (4) staff development; (5) LM-specific courses; (6) counseling; (7) parent involvement; and (8)…

Describes how to create a quality learning environment by setting tone and context, using cooperative groups, and setting up success for students. Outlines a thematic unit on fairy tales which can be used in a faculty workshop to model new beliefs and skills associated with writing programs. (MG)

Describes how the principal of a predominantly minority elementary school in Chicago (Illinois) took control of the school from local gangs and from the Local School Council, emphasizing her leadership and work to bring the faculty together through her active involvement and teachers' participative decision making. (SM)

Provides tips for improving staff communication in early-childhood centers. Suggests directors use a bulletin board that invites notes from employees; make sure that the center's newsletter invites input and letters to the editor; have an open-door policy or a visitors' time; and most importantly, focus on listening to what staff has to say. (AA)

Despite limited generation of hazardous materials, two-year colleges are required to comply with federal criteria for their identification and removal. After a random facilities inspection, the College of DuPage (Illinois) established priorities for waste removal, information dissemination, staff training, inventory, storage, and organizational…

Studies how an urban school, the George A. Lewis Middle School, of the Roxbury section of Boston (Massachusetts) is changing its reputation. Under the process of controlled choice, the school is an example of how teacher professionalization can be a force for overall school improvement. (SLD)

A survey of 573 elementary school and secondary school New York teachers, including teachers of gifted and learning-disabled students, indicates that teaching the gifted is related to job satisfaction, whereas working with learning-disabled students is related to decreased job satisfaction, especially for teachers without special training. (SLD)

Using portfolios in assessing literacy is explored, considering student portfolios and the teacher's class portfolio. Portfolio assessment is a valuable complement to externally mandated tests, but technical issues must be addressed if the portfolio movement is to survive. Portfolios must be linked to the broader task of instructional improvement.…

Early collaborative efforts between librarians and computing professionals at Rice University (Texas) led to the realization that some organizational restructuring was needed to effectively serve changing user needs. A new approach to delivering user services has not only benefited users but also resulted in growth and skills development for…

Librarians from the University of Arizona describe the process of reorganizing from a traditional to a team-centered, user-focused organization. The reasons for reorganizing, the preliminary self-study process, the design and implementation of the new structure, staff participation and reaction, developing staff teamwork, and advice for other…

Examines how principals, vice-principals, and department heads perceive and carry out their roles in relation to beginning teacher support. Addresses issues identified as problematic in school-based teacher development efforts (role conflict, school culture, resistance to change, overburdened administrators), and relates how four school…

Service fragmentation is a major problem in children's services. The articles of this special issue focus on school-linked integrated services. Issues to be explored in promoting such services are those of (1) funding; (2) space; (3) confidentiality; (4) staff training; and (5) governance. (SLD)

Describes a long-term, critically oriented teacher-researcher group, noting troublesome issues and the group's attempts to expand teacher-researcher collaboration into daily education settings. The article includes personal narratives by the members, which stress the importance of a self-reflexive stance for collaborative research to accommodate…

Addresses key factors that influence the academic and social performance of minority and at-risk youth, including lack of role models, societal expectations and realities, ineffective practices, and patterns of school organization. The article provides suggestions for what teachers can do and what schools can do through staff development. (SM)