In this monograph, a description is given of the activities of the "An Upper Secondary School For All" (Swedish abbreviation: GFA) program which has been operating in Swedish schools during the 1980s. A discussion is presented on how a number of upper secondary schools are working on the complex problem of giving as many youngsters as…

In 1992 the Texas Education Agency selected 83 schools to participate in its Partnership Schools Initiative (PSI), which had the goals of improving outcomes for students and closing the performance gaps among various student groups. The schools were allowed flexibility in the process used to achieve these goals. One of the partnership schools,…

Improvement of the lower division undergraduate program of the General College of the University of Minnesota is addressed. Attention is directed to the history of the program, the status of the project when the General College Assembly adopted its 1981 statement, and the nature of the work to be completed during the 1981-82 year. Reference is…

Although ability partly explains why some students are eager to learn in school whereas others are disinterested, motivation is another significant factor. This newsletter discusses factors that affect students' motivation to learn, considers techniques that can increase motivation, and identifies schools that have developed activities to enhance…

The seven chapters of this volume demonstrate that evaluation evidence can overturn widely held beliefs and result in changes in programs and policies. These chapters show that policymakers can welcome findings that challenge long-established ideas and use them to Improve programs and services. (SLD)

Programs and projects receiving outside financial support at the General College, University of Minnesota, are described in several articles. In "Balancing Career Preparations and Liberal Learning: A Project Funded by the Northwest Area Foundation," Roger Larson describes the extension of General College courses and programs into the…

Unprecedented population growth and mounting fiscal austerity in Africa is causing a decline in the significant increases in educational progress, especially as measured by the median literacy rate, which were made between 1962 and 1985. Planning and implementation of educational programs carefully designed to effect economic growth is one path…

This executive summary highlights key elements of a paper produced by the National Center for Research in Vocational Education for persons interested in maximizing benefits from research and development in vocational education. This summary describes the legislative background, conceptual model, essential framework, and operational guidelines for…

The search for indicators of quality for colleges and universities was initiated during the past decade and many variants of these efforts have emerged in Europe, Australia, and on the North American continent. In the financial squeeze of the 1980s and 1990s, demands for quality and excellence in the conduct of higher education have continued to…

This issue focuses on support and cooperation among various components of the educational community, specifically as this has been achieved by the Willamette Valley (Oregon) Education Consortium, a research-based organization of school districts, educational agencies, and an institute of higher education. The first article describes how schools…

This report abstracts and summarizes seventy-eight Indiana research and development projects funded in 1977 with moneys allocated by parts C and D of the 1968 Vocational Education Amendments. The projects are grouped into the subject categories of innovative approaches, needs assessment, performance-based vocational education (PBVE), placement and…

This special issue of "Catalyst", entitled Testing Programs in Schools: What's New?, was published jointly by the Nebraska Council of School Administrators and the Nebraska Association for Supervision and Curriculum. The articles emphasize desirability of designing testing programs to meet the information needs of educators and the…

A panel of state staff, Professional Development Center directors, and other experts reviewed current or previous exemplary projects in Pennsylvania and in the U.S. and published project descriptions in a newsletter ("FOCUS" bulletin). Twenty-two special projects were selected as exemplary based on a five-point scale for innovation,…

This issue of "Forum," a journal designed to provide a marketplace of ideas for California community college faculty, contains six articles on current educational concerns. First, "Seeking a Working Vision: Community Colleges and the Mission Statement," by Richard A. Garcia, argues that community colleges must put joint…

This bulletin describes two exemplary mathematics programs in Oregon: the Math Lab at Mountain View Junior High School in Beaverton and the Academy Math Program at Jefferson High School in northeastern Portland. The Math Lab at Mountain View is a weekly supplemental unit that is integrated into general math and pre-algebra courses for seventh and…