Describes how 16 superintendents spurred district reform efforts by creating a positive environment through a four-step process: establishing trust, planning the district's future, communicating their vision effectively, and following through. An inset provides advice to other change-oriented superintendents. (MLH)

Investigated were the relationships among teacher success in implementing innovative programs, their perceptions of self-efficacy, and the perceived value of the programs. Significant increases were found in teachers' success in a sequence of development leading from innovation improvement to subsequent increases in perceptions of self-efficacy.…

Provides testimony from five elementary school principals concerning the Skills for Growing Program piloted in U.S. and Canadian schools during 1987-1988. Principals stress the program's beneficial effects on student self-esteem, community involvement, curriculum enrichment, and staff morale. (MLH)

Describes a study examining the effects of a new, reform-driven secondary mathematics curriculum (the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project) on retaining students in the mathematics pipeline. In all three sites studied, the UCSMP curriculum led to slightly fewer math dropouts. Ability and school/socioeconomic effects may be more…

Some violence prevention programs do not work because they are poorly targeted, provide materials without implementation strategies, apply neighborhood methods to school settings, and project unrealistic notions about the social forces underlying violence. Schools cannot eliminate all conflict but should go beyond violence prevention to create a…

Provides overview, background, vision, and goals of a report from the Advisory Committee on Services for Families with Infants and Toddlers. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala pledged to use the guidelines presented to help establish "Early Head Start," a new support and services program for families with…

A southwest Arkansas high school is meeting teachers' and students' needs with a reorganized 4:4 block schedule that changes the traditional arrangement (7 55-minute classes daily for 180 days) to 2 terms with 4 90-minute classes per term. Teachers can teach a concept, work with it, and discuss results in one class period. Students have homework…

Discusses why writing centers are the best "home" for writing across the curriculum. Suggests that writing centers (1) provide a definable space for expertise, with identifiable goals and services; (2) encourage the dialogue between diverse rhetorical communities; and (3) offer a rhetorically neutral ground on which to carry out the program. (RS)

Describes an innovative project designed to more effectively meet career development needs of inner-city African-American youth (n=40) aged 14 to 17. Model includes a multiservice approach that integrates many traditional vocational development services and community counseling strategies within a culturally sensitive program. (Author/ABL)

Notes that literature-based reading approaches are becoming increasingly popular in Canada as well as in other parts of North America. Reviews the rationale behind shared book experiences and literary clubs. Provides a variety of language-rich tasks to guide children as they respond to the stories they are reading. (RS)

The European Union is reshaping its education and training programs to focus on the need for the whole community to learn throughout life. However, resources continue to be targeted mostly on initial schooling and undergraduate education. (SK)

Defines and evaluates alternative or authentic assessment, explores some of the creative options that are available, and provides tips for implementing new evaluation strategies. (Author)

Total quality management can be applied in the classroom to improve productivity, reduce costs, and improve the quality of education. The willingness of the institution to survey its customers and respond to needs and suggestions is of utmost importance. (Author/JOW)

When surveying parents on six types of involvement, the Family Center at Johns Hopkins University found that respondents were uninterested in regular school visits or participation in decision making but eager to help their children at home. In response, two researchers developed TIPS (Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork), an interactive…

The National Career Information System provides software, occupational and educational information, and technical assistance to operating agencies in 16 states. This article summarizes successful characteristics of programs in secondary schools, as identified in an 11-state study, and describes programs in Idaho and Georgia. (six references) (MLH)