Difficulties in paying for college and in maintaining good academic performance are two major hurdles to college graduation for low-income students. In recent years, state and federal budgets for postsecondary education have been cut significantly, limiting the options policymakers, education leaders, and communities have to improve rates of…

The charter school concept was first introduced in 1991 when the Minnesota Legislature passed the nation's first charter school law. As of this writing in 2009, 40 states and the District of Columbia have charter school legislation. While the specific characteristics and nuances of these laws vary from state to state, almost every state law…

External reinforcers should not be used to the point of dependency with special education students who need to become more aware of their own internal controls. Student performance contracts are one way of developing this awareness. (CL)

Discusses performance service contracts between educational facilities and energy services companies, in which the company provides the money for energy-efficiency improvements and the school pays the company an annual fee. The company guarantees the savings will meet or exceed the fee. (EV)

A field contract is a two-party contractual agreement intended for procuring material and labor from outside contractors. As used in the Burbank California Unified School District, the field contract allows greater flexibility than the formal bidding process. The type of documents and procedures used in the district are included. (MLF)

A research study at Arizona State University reviews the advantages and disadvantages of the contract method and concludes that it can be highly effective. (JMF)

The effectiveness of using the school principal for behavior contracting with problem students was studied with nine students (sixth through eighth grade). Implementation of administrator-student behavioral contracting successfully decreased the number of teacher referrals to the principal's office. Suggestions for implementing…

Areas discussed in selecting an outside designer include: how to find the right designer; dealing with a purchasing agent; the differences between studio and free-lance designers; how much freedom a designer should have; how to deal with the designer; and what advice designers can give. (LC)

Suggestions for selecting a professional photographer for collegiate publications are given: develop a shooting script that defines your needs; select the photographer skilled in a defined area; negotiate fees carefully; work with the photographer; and be present shooting day to oversee activities. (Author/LC)

The merits and methods of providing feedback to students and student organizations to improve performance are outlined. The methods include behavior contracts, self-disclosure, individual vs. group feedback, opinion polls, and positive reinforcement. (MSE)

Methods which ensure trainee followup of skills training are presented. Techniques involve personal action planning, group action planning, multiphase programming, performance aids, recognition systems, resource access, trainer followup, and more. (CT)

The use of contracts in individualizing experiential learning programs is explained, its research base outlined, and sample contracts and performance objectives provided. The strategy is encouraged in part as a way for liberal arts faculty to shift roles from transmitter of knowledge to facilitator of self-directed inquiry. (MSE)

Public school districts signing on with private companies to provide services need to set up contracts with performance standards. Provides seven general advice tips about what to include in contracts and case studies of what three school districts have done in setting up contracts with private companies. (MLF)

Troy State University in Montgomery, Alabama, has been training principals since 1965. Although a principal internship has always been recommended, it was not actually required of all educational administration graduates until fall 1981. This paper describes the development of guidelines for the principal internship program and presents the new…

As part of a high school in-service program, the entire staff made a commitment to a series of school-wide policies. The next step was the identification of individual classroom expectations, followed by an individual classroom contract that informed the student what was really important to the teacher. (Author/MLF)