Effective instructional coaching won't happen across a district without a well-specified coaching program and a reliable way to guide coaches. Fortunately, there are innovations from research and development efforts that can help districts put into practice the best ideas about instructional coaching. Andrew Wayne and Jane Coggshall describe how…

The Response to Intervention initiative is in danger of failing and being thrown on the ash heaps of countless education reform initiatives, but not because it is poorly structured, rather on account of poor implementation. Among the implementation mistakes are seven that can be watched for and avoided. (Contains 3 tables.)

Although seriously needing clarification and cleanup, California's charter legislation is demonstrating its capacity as an educational policy power tool. The legislation favors strong elements of the existing system, including dedicated, forward-thinking staff, boards, and union leaders. Weak elements--micromanaging boards, unsupportive central…

Describes the implementation and evaluation of a program rewarding good teaching in the Catalina Foothills School District in Tucson (Arizona). Based on motivation-hygiene theory, which claims that money is not a motivator, the program funds teacher attendance at conferences and purchases of instructional equipment rather than teacher pay…

Evaluates Cornell University's Linking Up mentoring program for needy youngsters. Although the program achieved limited success, some valuable lessons emerged, including the necessity of finding a sufficient supply of suitable mentors, concentrating on youths in need, setting clear mentoring goals, focusing on competence-building activities,…

Describes IMPACT II, an experimental teacher-to-teacher network that encourages teacher-initiated innovations by offering "developer" and "replicator" grants. Reports the results of a survey evaluation of the project and concludes that innovation works best from the bottom up. (Author/WD)

Outlines California's major educational reform legislation during 1980's and describes a Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) study of policy implementations. Results show that nearly all schools correctly implemented key provisions of S.B. 813, that state level reform can be effective when accompanied by cohesive local strategizing,…

If education is to halt the ever-swinging pendulum and make significant progress in student achievement, it must first change the ground rules for selecting, implementing, evaluating, and institutionalizing innovations like Hunter's model. This article proposes steps for providing an infrastructure capable of promoting lasting and beneficial…

Criticizes the Holmes Group Report for the incompleteness of its recommendations in the following areas: (1) redesigning the undergraduate liberal arts curriculum, (2) eliminating undergraduate field experience, and (3) endorsing the concept of a differentiated staff composed of instructors, professional teachers, and career professionals.…

Criticizes, for programmatic and political reasons, two main recommendations of the Holmes Group report: (1) to transfer professional studies from the undergraduate level to the graduate level and (2) to deny undergraduate students the opportunity to major in education. Gives reasons why the Holmes proposals would not work in Indiana. (IW)

Responding to a critique of their earlier article, authors Levin and Meister, joined by Glass, attempt to clarify some of the issues and to correct implicit misunderstandings in the critique, while detailing the application of cost-effectiveness to educational interventions. Twenty footnotes are appended. (IW)