This paper describes successful indoor adventure activities that are used in the Georgia correctional system for treating substance abuse with adolescents and adults. An experiential style of learning is appropriate for adolescent and adult offenders who have typically not done well in traditional settings and are usually slow- or poorly-achieving…

Findings from descriptions of successful practice and studies of school effectiveness are presented in this collection of readings, which provide a background of the rationale and recommendations for implementing school improvement. The readings also serve as a detailed reference for school improvement teams who have participated in training…

Problems in implementing educational change due to different perspectives and statuses of policy makers, practitioners, and researchers has contributed to an absence of shared paradigms. Combined with the intense demand for educational change, a system gridlock has ensued. Research of the last 2 decades on implementation of change is summarized in…

The effects of large-scale improvement projects and the trend toward decentralization on the principal's role in primary and secondary schools in Belgium are explored in this paper. Particular focuses are on the ways in which sociopolitical change influences the nature of school-level leadership and on strategies that principals use in response to…

The literature is reviewed on three curriculum models that were developed to help economically disadvantaged youngsters overcome the consequences of poverty and prepare for the academic challenges they would face in later years. The first section of the paper presents a historical overview of the developments in compensatory preschool education…

The staff development program for the Network of Secondary School Demonstration Centers for Teaching Reading in the Content Areas is a long-range, highly structured, and comprehensive model. In addition to the support system for the learning and implementation of strategies for teaching reading in the content areas, the program employs…

The Cooperative Extension Service faces the challenge of helping United States farmers and ranchers use microcomputers in managing their farms. Farm management extension education programs are delivered to farmers and ranchers through such activities as (1) local meetings and workshops organized by county agents and producer advisory groups, (2)…

Case studies of five urban high schools illustrate some important factors that appear to be crucial in determining whether or not reform efforts are implemented. Among these factors are the following: (1) teacher participation; (2) collegiality among staff members; (3) shared belief that change can occur; (4) leadership by the principal; (5)…

Six causal-influence diagrams introduce a model showing the difficulties of implementing school improvement policies in such areas as teacher expectations and student behavior. The first diagram deals with basic dynamics of improvement. Cybernetics of activities to correct student achievement are revealed in a second diagram, which portrays…

This publication for technology teachers is developed around a series of questions commonly raised about the integrated approach to teaching technology. Responses have been provided by eight experienced teachers. An introduction explains the integrated approach and provides a schematic drawing showing the principal phases of the program plus the…

This guide provides information about various types of alternative education programs that address the educational and behavioral needs of disruptive students. The programs suggested are aimed at students whose behavior is so disruptive that they must be removed from classes or from the school for varying lengths of time. These programs provide…

A review of the general literature on diffusion, innovation, and social change is worthwhile as a basis for developing more effective methods for facilitating the adoption of computer-based technologies. Much of the research on diffusion has focused on (1) characteristics of the innovation which influence the diffusion process, (2) a description…

This document, the second of two based on a study of telecommunications in the schools conducted by Designs for Education, uses data from the first volume as a basis for discussion and recommendations concerning the integration of telecommunications into elementary and secondary education. Intended for use by the professional in education and…

Intended to aid schools, colleges, and departments of education in the implementation of inservice teacher education programs or in the expansion of existing programs, this monograph presents current research findings on the role of the university in teacher inservice education. It outlines a step-by-step process for making such programs an…

The Studies of Implementation is a three-year, longitudinal investigation focusing on the process by which an innovation is implemented and becomes a pattern of individualized schooling. An examination is made of the behavior of 13 elementary schools during the entire change process, which includes the adoption, implementation, and adaptation of…