An upstate New York district's energy-conservation measures over the past 19 months have saved $376,000 that can be invested in academic and additional energy-saving programs. The district advises developing people-oriented strategies; updating structures, systems, and equipment; finding appropriate resources; and investing in the future. (MLH)

In a Long Island school district, foreign-language study is part of every elementary school student's curriculum in grades 2 through 5. More than 90 percent of sixth-graders choose to study a language and have the chance to participate in 7-year and advanced-placement programs in these languages. (MLH)

Recently, one southeastern Idaho school's special-education aides were upgraded to paraprofessional status. All 28 para-educators are women, have at least a high-school diploma, and have job descriptions specifying what they should know and accomplish in the classroom. Training and compensation particulars are discussed. (MLH)

Employee health promotion through wellness programs can be set up at schools using existing facilities. Describes how Greenwood Area Schools in Millertown, Pennsylvania, set up a program and lists who does what in the program. (MLF)

A two-year preschool and kindergarten sequence is conducted on a full-day schedule with five-year-olds attending school three days a week and four-year-olds attending the alternate days, both groups with the same teachers. The program was recognized for excellence in curriculum development. (MLF)

Under Policy Governance, superintendents get full authority to run districts, but their actions must be aligned with board policy and certain board-imposed limitations. Boards' policy can change dramatically with elections, causing a change in Policy- Governance climate. Board decisions cannot be changed unless a majority approves. (MLH)

The Greendale (Wisconsin) School District uses sophisticated, two-way communication and marketing strategies to find out community concerns, gain a better understanding of all the groups in the district, create trust, and put constructive criticism to good use. "Relationship" marketing actively seeks out input from both supporters and…

Structured interviews with 575 administrators and supervisors in 6 school districts finds 8 impediments to school board implementation of an effective merit pay system for these employees: Lack of knowledge, teacher heritage, supervisor's ability, supervisor's motivation, managerial prerogatives, amount of rewards, and type of rewards. Offers…

A partnership between local community, business, and education leaders and the Santa Barbara County Education Office spawned Computers for Families--a program putting computers in needy families' homes. Adjudicated youth at a residential boys' camp gain vocational skills when refurbishing donated computers for families' use. (MLH)

Describes steps taken by Lake Washington School District in Kirkland (Washington) in acquiring microcomputers, including (1) doing preliminary research, (2) forming a steering committee, (3) attending a conference on educational data systems, (4) defining 10 objectives for a computer awareness program, and (5) launching the program in three pilot…

Adapting teaching materials and strategies to the learning preferences of each child can make a difference in how well and how much students learn. Steps in introducing strategies based on learning styles into an elementary school are described, and recommendations are provided for initiating a learning styles program. (TE)

Purpose-centered learning, which requires students to use their studies to address challenges they identify in their community, is effective in all types of schools and with diverse students. The system can generally be implemented simply by reallocating existing resources and rethinking traditional approaches. Purpose-centered education connects…

The Southern Oklahoma Technology Center, a vocational and technical school district, recently spearheaded an initiative to allow members to use laptops at home and during meetings to process board agenda items, receive video and multimedia presentations, and access the school's local-area network and the Internet. (MLH)

Students at Clovis (California) Unified School District are benefiting from GoalSHARING, a program growing out of the district's first annual education congress. Hundreds of educators, parents, and community leaders convened to determine better ways to run the schools. Parent teams now initiate changes at district and school levels. (MLH)

High-stakes testing is forcing debate over achieving both educational excellence and equity. A pragmatic, middle position claims high-stakes testing can work with clear but limited goals, flexibility, and the will to address at-risk students' problems. Texas, Chicago, and New York City programs and implementation steps are highlighted. (MLH)