The United States, in less than 50 years, has gone from legal segregation and exclusion of students with disabilities in schools to an emphasis on inclusion in the least restrictive environments based on individual student needs. The United States has made great strides in the physical inclusion of students with disabilities, but work is still…

The importance of partnerships is critical in educational arenas, but information on how partnerships form with the involvement of corporations, districts, and universities working in harmony is limited in the current literature. The teacher preparation program described in this paper is a "built-to-last" partnership model with over 650…

The focus of the present synthesis reflects the research on programs, practices, and policies intended to improve mathematics outcomes funded through the Institute of Education Sciences' (IES's) National Center for Education Research (NCER) and National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). The authors were asked to review those published…

Outlines some considerations a principal should keep in mind when planning a middle school. (IRT)

This paper, in discussing the implementation of middle schools, makes six recommendations: (1) the program should reflect the needs of individual students; (2) the curriculum and schedules should accommodate an appropriate amount of independent study time paralleling the maturity of the individual; (3) the program should incorporate a non-graded…

This guide outlines some considerations relevant to planning quality educational programs. "Observations on the Writing of Educational Specifications" discusses the importance and effectiveness of educational specifications and the planning procedure in the development of educational specifications. "Characteristics Which Help to Identify the…

Describes the changing of a "senior school," including grades 4 to 8, into a middle school. (For availability, see EA 507 200.) (IRT)

Outlines reasons why middle schools were developed and presents a program that is suggested to prepare staff members for their new roles if a district adopts middle schools. (IRT)

Argues that providing leadership and opportunities for staff members to become more effective in their jobs are the primary responsibilities of a school principal. Offers a number of suggestions for use in staff development. (FL)

A functional reading program, as distinct from the standard middle school reading program, specifically ensures that all students will acquire the reading skills necessary for survival in our society. Survival reading behaviors to be achieved include the ability to read labels on packages, to locate references in a newspaper, or to translate…

The purpose of this practicum was to develop and implement an articulated educational program for an urban middle school. In his discussion, the author identifies a number of programs that contribute to poor articulation and suggests activities that can overcome these problems. Heart of the practicum was an effort to improve articulation between…

Presented are eight brief articles written by regular and special education teachers and administrators on secondary learning disabilities programs and issues in the Madison, Wisconsin Metropolitan School District. (MH)

This article compiles information from program web sites, articles, and interviews with experts to describe the history and current status of the Advanced Placement program and the International Baccalaureate program. The development of the Pre-AP program, the Primary Years program, and the Middle Years program is discussed. (Contains references.)…

This guide is designed to provide additional resources for technology educators who are attempting to shift their programs from industrial arts to technology education. An introduction describes the original demonstration site project, a consortium of Northeastern U.S. schools, the primary goal of which was the advancement of technological…

Issues pertaining to thinking skills are discussed in an attempt to clarify what thinking skills are and their components, how they function and how they can be developed in the teaching-learning environment. Chapter 1 reviews the definitions of thinking skills. These definitions are selected from the current literature on education and…