To help improve reading instruction, a California district developed an effective staff development plan featuring learning-support teams, a 30-week training schedule, and recommended reading resources. Teachers selected San Francisco State University's Consortium for Reading Excellence program for its training in phonics instruction and…

Describes how the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery strives to admit more underrepresented minority students. Discusses its D.D.S. minority admissions program, postdoctoral minority admissions program, Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) for middle and high school students, and "zero" tuition dental assisting…

Describes the experience of an evaluation network being put into practice in Spain to encourage educational change. Outlines the most relevant conditions needed for educational change and develops the description of a school evaluation network that includes all the previously described conditions. (SLD)

Discusses how James Gray, founder of the Bay Area Writing Project and later the National Writing Project, began with a simple idea--successful teachers are the best teachers of teachers. Describes how James Gray laid a foundation for what has become a national network with 175 sites across the nation, providing a professional home for thousands of…

Describes how public policy establishing the University of California Toxic Substances Research and Teaching Program helped to establish the state's environmental technology industry. The multidisciplinary "science-push" program generated economic development benefits including leveraged research funding and at least 200 new private…

Presents implications for consideration by community, parents, educators, and policymakers if guided by the recommendations of the final report on the "Early Years Study" by McCain and Mustard. Cautions against an overemphasis on brain development during the early years and against viewing children as capital for social policy purposes.…

A day-by-day account describes Camp Greentop's first 5-day adventure camping trip, which was attended by five individuals with disabilities and their counselors. The first day was spent in games and initiatives designed to develop communication, teamwork, and dependability. Other days were devoted to hiking, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting.…

School-based harassment and violence toward students perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender has been successfully confronted in educational systems across the U.S. A sampling of these programs and linked supportive organizations is presented. Three harassment-reduction programs are described in detail. Program-development and…

Findings from a literature review on dropout prevention were integrated with suggestions from Oregon educators. Ideas included examples of universal interventions (such as student advisory programs), dropout interventions for at-risk students (such as community-based learning), and interventions for individual students (wraparound interventions).…

Presents a brief history of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), launched during a period of growth and turmoil in U.S. higher education. Discusses FIPSE's successes as it celebrates 30 years of helping colleges and universities assess and improve the quality of their services. (EV)

A conceptual scheme developed by the National Needs Analysis Project in Behavior Disorders is presented for guiding program description and evaluation in the behavioral disorders field. The scheme identifies essential program components such as philosophy, community involvement, and exit procedures. Underlying assumptions, the development process,…

Describes "Project History in the Making" in which students in the class of 1990 read letters written by members of the classes of 1940 and 1965 and write letters to the class of 2015. Notes some of the questions asked by the class of 1990 to invited guests from the classes of 1940 and 1965. (RS)

Describes Project Write which uses a hierarchy of critical thinking skills in the formation of concepts and theories. Describes how students use computers to brainstorm, categorize, verify, sequence story details, and create a main idea and conclusion for their expository writing. (RS)

Describes contrasts in the author's visits to East and West Berlin in 1972 and 1990. Discusses visits to child care centers in East and West Germany in 1990 and concludes with speculation about the future of child care services in a reunited Germany. (DR)

Describes the Los Angeles Theatre Center's program, "Theatre as a Learning Tool," which brings students from diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and educational backgrounds to see fully staged theatrical productions. Notes that the program integrates the plays into daily lesson plans in reading, writing, critical thinking, and communication…