This document consists of nine papers which discuss the planning and design, implementation and maintenance, and evaluation of magnet schools. They are based on practical experience with magnet schools, which first appeared in the early 1970s. By 1982, the movement had grown to include more than 1,200 schools in 140 urban school districts, and the…

This paper provides a case study of eight magnet schools in Austin, Texas, to illustrate the role of evaluation research in assessing the impact of the magnet school experience on students and parents. After an introduction, the paper describes the history of Austin's magnet schools at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels. Next,…

This paper, based loosely on findings presented in the other papers collected with it in a single volume, discusses general issues in designing magnet schools, focusing on three main themes: (1) the interdependence of program design and recruitment issues; (2) school level practices which help to turn racial desegregation into racial integration;…

Studies conducted by the Eastern Iowa Community College District in 1986 revealed a lack of credit programs and curricula for training individuals in the technical aspects of hazardous materials management and need for hazardous materials technicians by local industry. In response, an associate of applied science (AAS) degree program in Hazardous…

The staff development plan presented in this paper was developed in 1989 at El Camino College (ECC) in compliance with California Assembly Bill (AB) 1725. The first sections describe how AB 1725 funding will be used to enhance staff development at the college, report the results of several needs assessment activities conducted to determine the…

In January 1988 a group of Minneapolis-area citizens and educators formed the Chiron Steering Committee to design an experimental middle school program (grades 5-8). The result is the Chiron Middle School outlined in this proposal. The main body of the report focuses on a description of the Chiron proposal, including the program, schedule,…

In 1987-88 three small, rural elementary schools were demonstration sites for implementation of a computer-managed instructional (CMI) program. The schools were located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland; Palmyra, New Jersey; and northern York County, Pennsylvania. Implementation costs were supported by the school districts, federal grant money, and…

The Staff Development for School Improvement Program (SDSI) at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) and Wayne State University (WSU) is an exceptional undertaking, designed to promote school improvement through the cooperative actions of EMU and WSU, and public schools. In the program, a university faculty member (facilitator) is assigned to work…

This report presents the findings of a survey of 51 State Directors of the Chapter 1 compensatory education program taken for the purpose of gathering a current database of information analyzing the effectiveness of implementation of the Chapter 1 program, as amended by the Hawkins-Stafford School Improvement Amendments of 1988. The survey…

This book is an account of the development and implementation of the University of Massachusetts English Family Literacy Project, presented as a curriculum guide for others who may be involved in developing English-as-a-Second-Language and family literacy programs for immigrants and refugees. An introductory section describes the program, the…

The use of performance appraisal (PA) as part of a performance management system at the college level is discussed, and a process model to implement PA through staff development is presented. Through PA, the supervisor and employee develop a framework for identifying job duties and responsibilities, goals and objectives, and performance measures.…

This document presents an overview of the design and implementation stages of a Spencerport (New York) project, designed to improve the educational program and student learning in each building in the district. The first section describes the project's goal for each building, which is that (1) 95 (or greater) percent of all students should…

This description of a safe and interesting day care program for 2-year-olds can be used by parents as a guide to selecting good day care; it can also be used by a day care center to stimulate discussion about program planning and implementation. Although the program described is not considered to be a perfect one, it would meet New York State…

This report discusses the situation--a 43 percent attrition rate in public schools--leading to the formation of the Dropout Prevention and Recovery (DPR) program, implemented in the Los Angeles Unified School District in January 1985, and describes activities undertaken as part of the pilot program. The main body of the report, presented in…

Because General Educational Development (GED) graduates in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, were in need of an association to encourage their further educational development and enhance their newly established feelings of self-worth, an alumni association was formed. Within this peer group, alumni vented frustrations, obtained special training,…