In this chapter Dr. Cochran uses an empirically based overarching conceptual framework linking historical patterns, current policy goals and intervening influences as a tool for understanding the policy and program outcomes manifested in the early education programs of representative Western countries (Australia, France, Italy, Sweden). Policy…

Described a move from conventional to individual education and its meaning for the student at Notre Dame High School in Quincy, Illinois. (Author/RK)

This project came about after discussions with the general manager of the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association and Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips (University of Waikato) about setting up a research partnership to support the teachers at Taitoko Kindergarten in Levin. The teachers were establishing an integrated community centre (the whanau…

Describes the approach used by one school district for increasing parent involvement in the schools and improving community understanding and support of school personnel and programs. (JG)

In our pluralistic society, alternative programs in elementary schools should be offered to allow more innovation on the part of teachers, wider choices for children, and more involvement of parents. (JD)

To identify the changes associated with the school turnaround process, this article reviewed 15 case studies of elementary school turnaround initiatives that sustained improvements for at least two years. Changes were clustered into eight categories: leadership, school policy, programs, organizational processes, staffing, classroom practices,…

At Mary Harrison Primary School (Toledo, Oregon), staff spent months crafting a shared vision statement and restructuring plan based on recommended developmentally appropriate practices for early childhood programs. The school's child-centered program now features multiage classrooms, individualized instruction, cooperative learning, a schoolwide…

Discusses a framework for the creation, evolution, and development of Montessori schools, focusing on the creation of preschool programs, addition of primary and elementary education, and expansion to include middle school and secondary programs. Examines the role of teachers, parents, and students at each of these stages. (MDM)

A case study examined interactions between elementary school staff and 18 Mexican American parents during the school's conversion to a dual language program. Although parents were included in program planning, parental satisfaction and involvement declined with time. Analysis suggests that parents were alienated as educators' ideals were…

This guide looks at implementation of principles of inclusive schools from the perspectives of parents, teachers, district and school administrators, and policymakers and is based on data from interviews, surveys, and focus groups. Each perspective is represented in a different chapter of the report, with implications or recommendations for the…

At this seminar, Mario Fantini, Program Officer of the Ford Foundation, discussed the theoretical frameworks on which educational programs for deprived children should be designed. Program designs required to provide effective education for poor and deprived children were explored by Kenneth Haskins, Principal of the Adams-Morgan School,…

The science education reform movement is difficult for parents to understand because the new constructivist paradigm is far afield from science education as parents experienced it themselves. Educators in a New England middle school developed a new science curriculum without inviting general parental input. The problem addressed by this study was…

Ethnography, a qualitative, small-scale, indepth approach to research developed within the discipline of anthropology, is here explored as a potential strategy in the investigation of issues related to educational governance and policy-making. The first section of the paper defines the term ethnography and discusses characteristics of the…

This guide provides suggestions for planning and implementing inclusion programs to enhance education for all children. Recent laws supporting the rights of children with disabilities are considered, along with the confusion regarding how to meet the needs of all children in the schools. Variations in inclusion practices among states and districts…

This survey of Follow Through programs over the past nine years examines program implementation from the perspective of local schools (complementing an earlier study on implementation of education models from the perspective of model sponsors). Ten sites around the country were visited and over 300 Follow Through participants interviewed,…