This booklet surveys the possibilities in instituting a 4-day school week, an approach which has gained favor in some small school districts. The history of the 4-day week and its characteristics are first described. Drawing on case studies of districts that have begun the 4-day schedule, the authors enumerate the steps in proposing and…

A regional workshop was held in which educational researchers and practitioners shared their innovations, successes, concerns, and progress in using research and development to promote excellence in their state and local education agencies. This document reports its proceedings. "School Improvement: What the Research Says," by David P.…

The implementation of a legislative mandate to promote innovation in postsecondary education through the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) is analyzed. Attention is directed to how this highly discretionary program successfully translated policy goals into grants practices. The values of two implementation strategies…

This report contains recommendations and guidelines for the development of a national computer education program for all Australian schools. The introduction provides background information on the appointment of the National Advisory Committee on Computers in Schools, including the guidelines and objectives set for it by the government. Chapter 2,…

This handbook has been developed through an interdisciplinary approach so that it can be used for any cooperative education program that might be proposed or in existence in the State of Idaho. The handbook was written to serve as a guide for those schools and districts that are considering using such a plan. The handbook, a program management…

Designed to provide teachers and administrators with suggestions for innovative approaches to providing vocational education to handicapped high school students, this report contains first person descriptions of six model programs in vocational education. In chapter 1 four administrators and instructors comment on their Related Vocational…

The growing emphasis on planning and evaluation in educational institutions has resulted in rapid implementation of various strategies. Participant-consultant observations were used to focus on the problems of the implementation. Organizational conflicts were identified, and coping strategies were developed by an external agent. Several…

Presents strategies developed for a National Science Foundation grant to improve rural science education by helping rural teachers design an action plan for instructional improvement based on their ideals and goals coupled with a realistic assessment of their teaching situation including the strengths and weaknesses of the rural setting. (JHZ)

Presents findings from studies that provide guidelines to policymakers and administrators on a range of issues related to school improvement. The first set of issues deals with deciding upon the nature of the desired changes. The second set deals with planning how to proceed. One hundred twenty-eight footnotes are appended. (IW)

This bulletin details the findings of a 1995 study involving 891 school districts in all 50 states that examined key factors of inclusive education practices. Findings indicate: (1) there is no single or even general pattern of initiation of inclusive education programs in local school districts; (2) as states and school districts engage in broad…

This book is a proposal for the Strategic Education Research Partnership (SERP), a large-scale coherent program of research and development carried out through a partnership between researchers and practitioners. The program would put the problems of educational practice at its center and focus on carrying research and development through all the…

This second article in a two-part series on telecommunications in secondary schools examines strategies for better support of telecommunications implementation. Highlights include management strategies for CMC (computer-mediated communication) use; instructional strategies for online database inquiries; teacher support strategies; simulation…

A high-school department chair and English teacher switched jobs with a university-based teacher educator. In this paper, they define their shared vision of student-centered learning, describe how to create a student-centered environment, explain how to implement student-centered activities, provide an example involving the colonial period in…

This publication profiles four award-winning programs honored in 1997 by the University Continuing Education Association. The four programs have instituted imaginative continuing higher education responses to important community needs. In all four cases, the focus is on developing human resources to support local employment and enhance the…

A study identified 16 programs that represented the range of innovative school-to-work approaches found in the United States and drew on their experiences to learn about the challenges they had confronted. Data were collected during two visits to each program in 1992 and 1993. Findings underscored the diversity of the school-to-work movement and…