In 1995, the Albuquerque (New Mexico) school district devised a plan to merge special education, cross-cultural education, Indian education, and Title I with the general education program, designated the Unified Education System (UES). Considering the abrupt implementation of UES in the first year and subsequent confusion regarding staff positions…

A research project studied in depth four organizations using organizational learning approaches to embed continuous learning within actual work processes. The most sustainable benefits, in terms of both individual and organizational needs, tended to result from "action" or "situated" learning that is informal and accrues…

Reports a study that examined 16 educational reform networks that are used as alternative forms of teacher and school development. The results identified five shared organizational themes and five shared tensions. This paper describes educational reform networks, discusses essential elements, examines the themes and tensions, and suggests…

Describes how the Intervention Assistance Teaming Model, a highly structured form of collaboration, was implemented with preservice graduate students from various disciplines typically involved in collaborative school service delivery. Teams received training and used case study requests for assistance. Surveys indicated great satisfaction with…

Reports on activities and concerns of the Soviet Union's Academy of Pedagogical Sciences in conjunction with educational reform. Calls for systematic improvement, of which "the pedagogy of cooperation" is only a part. Emphasizes creative teaching methods and better coordination between research and classroom practice. Reviews individual…

A case study describes implementation of holistic changes at Jubilee Junior High School in Edson, Alberta (Canada). Changes included "large-group" instruction by a team of teachers; outcome-based assessment, including portfolios; integrated curriculum; and replacement of the school's hierarchical administration with a leadership team of…

Examines students' initiations during teacher-led read-alouds of information books in an urban first-grade classroom. This process allows students multiple opportunities to share authority and direct the classroom's work and talk, thus allowing teachers to view them as knowledgeable, capable discussants speaking as experts about information books.…

This study examined teacher empowerment through the development of individual and collective teacher efficacy. A content-centered staff development program implemented in a Michigan school district by the New Zealand Ministry of Education and Oakland University helped teachers develop efficacy in the teaching of mathematics and in the ability to…

As demand for school reform have grown in Malta in recent years we have noticed increased focus being given to quality issues. As a result the education authorities, due to two main policy initiatives--the introduction of the National Minimum curriculum and school development planning--are encouraging a decentralised form of governance that…

The University of Maryland's Intergroup Dialogue and Leadership Program (IDLP) is coordinated by the Office of Human Relations Programs (OHRP), an arm of the Office of the President. Because of this organizational location, OHRP has campus-wide scope which has been foundational to its ability to adapt the Intergroup Dialogue Program (IDP)…

This study examined student and instructor reflection upon a 2-year teacher education seminar designed to provide experiential and theoretical grounding in democratic pedagogy. Through conversation-as-research, instructors interpreted group dynamics in their conversations during breaks, lunch hours, and evenings throughout the seminar. The central…

Focusing on small-scale insider research, this book covers contemporary issues, research methods, and existing practice and values for the researcher concerned with student learning in higher education. Stressed throughout the book is the use of research to identify the ways that barriers to learning may be increased or minimized, and the extent…

In a rural Washington school district 60 percent of teachers and administrators have completed a course on collaboration as part of a key effort to bring a collaborative culture to their schools. This course was one part of a change effort that included development of School Advisory Committees where teachers and administrators made significant…

This volume, which describes the status of public education in Utah for the year 1993-94, focuses on the issue of educational reform. Following the introduction and overview, chapter 1 reviews reform legislation and implementation efforts during the last decade. It describes the context for reform in political, demographic, and economic terms.…

This manual contains materials for a 2-week workshop to train extension staff and community leaders working at the village level in the Solomon Islands. The aim of the course is to improve participants' skills so they are better able to help communities and community groups design and manage community projects. An introduction addresses the team…