This working paper presents guidelines for negotiating learning contracts between tutors and postsecondary students enrolled in a vocational program. The first two sections discuss the general rationale for negotiating curricula and the specific benefits of conducting such negotiations with students over the age of 16. Addressed next is the…

In 1979, the Teachers' Centers Exchange, working through the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development, began a program that provided financial awards for the conduct of collaborative research on exemplary teachers' centers practices. From September 1979 through March 1982, 15 teachers' centers participated in 14 research…

An interactive research and development (IR&D) project brings together teachers, university researchers, and staff development specialists as a team to identify, research, and disseminate findings from questions of interest to teachers. Six major features of an interactive IR&D project are: (1) teams having at least one teacher, one researcher,…

The background, evaluation process, theories, and practical aspects of the Just Community High School in Cambridge, Masachusetts, are presented. The document is organized into four sections. Section 1 briefly discusses the components of a Just School: participatory democracy with teachers and students having equal rights, emphasis on conflict…

Six major areas of part-time college faculty employment practices are discussed that illustrate how current practice can be detrimental to part-time faculty performance. Attention is directed to appointment, support services, communication with peers, participation in governance, compensation, and job security. The following areas that require…

A questionnaire survey of 1,812 elementary and secondary teachers sought to determine the effects of principals' leadership behavior on teachers' job satisfaction, satisfaction with supervision, and participation in decision-making. Two dimensions of leadership behavior were studied: consideration, or supportive and expressive behavior; and…

Through participation in a Kettering Foundation project, the Lawrence North High School in suburban Indianapolis (Indiana) has successfully implemented a number of the management practices that apparently underlie the productivity of Japanese businesses. Led by the principal, the school has committed itself to four basic concepts from the Japanese…

An introduction, keynote address, and 12 selected papers present the conference's proceedings. Also provided are summaries of the seven other conference papers and of the final plenary session, along with a list of conference participants. The keynote address questions whether quality control is possible in education. It notes that the concept of…

A questionnaire survey of 1,506 teachers in 89 elementary and secondary schools in eastern Massachusetts examined teachers' reactions to declining enrollments and school district retrenchment policies. The hypotheses tested suggest that, in districts whose reduction-in-force (RIF) policies include performance evaluations as well as seniority as…

The early impact and subsequent expansion of the National Labor Relations Board v. Yeshiva University decision by the Supreme Court is reviewed. (MLW)

The processes used by the University of Washington to meet severe budget reductions mandated by the state are described. A planning philosophy of smaller size and higher quality was adopted, and program elimination occurred consensually, with faculty and student participation. (Author/MLW)

Examines some of the fears, frustrations, and misconceptions of library staff and patrons that hamper the effective use of computers in libraries. Strategies that library administrators could use to alleviate stress are outlined, including staff participation in the automation process, well-designed workstations, and adequate training for staff…

Analysis of instructional strategies associated with interaction-based teaching in a graduate course in higher education pinpoints critical incidents in the course's unfolding and resolution of testing, grading, and evaluation problems and their resolution. Teachers must be ready to share course control and leadership with the students. (MSE)

Outlines the benefits of community and staff councils at school sites and their role in advancing equity in education. Councils can promote equity by broadening the base of citizen participation and enabling schools to mobilize other community resources. Realization of equity benefits depends on the talents of council leaders. (SA)

Develops a theoretical context for understanding the evidence on effective schools. Analyzes how effective schools have surmounted a central problem of inner-city schools, recruiting and retaining good teachers. Argues that because principals in effective schools focus on improving student achievement, teachers have concrete, realizable goals…