Discusses the process involved in curriculum changes. Describes the limiting factors that principals inherit. Outlines the successful use of the "contagion model" in implementing a mastery learning program as a curricular change in intermediate schools. (MD)

Reviews the nine factors contributing to educational productivity, the effectiveness of instructional techniques (mastery learning ranks high and Skinnerian reinforcement has the largest overall effect), and the effects of psychological enviroments on learning. Includes references and a table. (MD)

Alternative schools for intermediate grade students should be small and located in a separate building, where students and teachers can develop their own sense of identity. Curricula for high risk students require three components: a vocational orientation, interdisciplinary team projects, and a mastery learning/continuous progress approach.…

Competing notions of education are reviewed. The progressivist notion is individualistic and aims at self-actualization, whereas the more conservative perspective emphasizes a mechanistic approach in which some students' full potential may not be realized. To accommodate student differences, curricula must be treated as useful guidelines to…

Teachers can demystify mathematics and science and motivate African-American students by providing limitless opportunities to succeed in computation, problem solving, and comprehension within a structured environment. There is need for appropriate materials, teaching reinforcement, continuous monitoring of progress, and constant practice and…

Recommended strategies for improving the education of economically disadvantaged students include dispelling teacher misconception, hiring teachers from disadvantaged backgrounds, using noncredentialed staff from the community, emphasizing mastery learning and holistic teaching, and revising the curriculum to incorporate heterogeneously grouped…