This book takes a broad look at the school today and offers a long term approach to the problem of school improvement by dividing the improvement process into three stages: refinement, renovation, and redesign. The book is divided into five major parts: (1) "Setting the Stage"; (2) "Establishing the Process"; (3) "Stage One: Refining the School";…

Based on a series of faculty workshops conducted at Jefferson Community College (KY) in 1978 and 1980, this handbook outlines 95 practical suggestions for increasing student retention rates. After introductory material describing these workshops, the first 22 suggestions recommend ways to foster positive student/teacher interaction. Methods are…

This study sought to determine the effects of a high blood pressure education program for sixth graders on the preventive hypertension health attitudes and behaviors of their parents. Attention was focused on the role of students ("significant others") in affecting parental attitude and behavior changes relating to the three risk factors of…

This research concerned political socialization in the early grades in two elementary schools with particular attention to differential socialization of middle and lower class children, and boys and girls. The research focused on authority patterns, teacher-pupil and pupil-pupil behavior streams and interaction, how teachers present the outside…

One of 52 theoretical papers on school crime and its relation to poverty, this chapter attempts to demonstrate that deviant behaviors in school are caused and patterned by the manner in which schools differentially constrain the ability of students legitimately to attain the goal of academic success. By applying a modified and extended version of…

This paper presents results from a study of the effects on student development of open and traditional family and school environments. The theory is entertained that a match (or congruence) of family and school styles improves some student outcomes, while a mismatch (or incongruence) of environments results in improvement of different student…

For the first three years of the Southeast Alternatives (SEA) project, the parents of the SEA school children were polled each year to determine their reasons for sending their children to these schools. Since the basis of the project was to include students themselves in the decision making process, it was decided that students should also be…

The relationship between student attitudes and the school as a political system is analyzed in this research report. Four types of school systems are hypothesized: elite, bureaucratic, coalitional, and participant. After testing this conceptualization, student attitudes of trust, integration, confidence, and interest toward both school and society…

The Self-Schedule System is an instructional-learning management "tool" designed to implement the curriculum components of an individualized early learning program. The overall concern of the system is to provide ecological supports which enable the teacher to adapt instruction to individual students, and encourage students to assume…

In order to study the appropriateness of different structured classroom settings for children's learning and development, the Columbia Classroom has constructed IRIS (Involvement Ratings in Settings) and PRIN (the Pupil Role Interview). IRIS, a seven dimensional scale of affectivity by non-verbal indices, has been employed in two classrooms for…

This guide outlines the benefits, operational considerations, and evaluation of the student safety patrol as an integral part of school activity which not only enriches the real-life learning of pupils but also helps prevent accidents. Several types of student patrols are discussed: building and grounds patrols, pupil transportation patrols, and…

The purpose of this book is to help teachers to select reading materials and equipment for classroom use. Part 1 explains the objectives and defines the terminology to be used. Part 2, Criteria for Assessing Reading Approaches, places before the reader many of the factors which influence children's reading progress. The factors include the reading…

This report analyzes and describes the behavior patterns of U. S. children aged 6 through 11 years in school. Included are teacher's ratings on facets of behavior closely related to the growth and development of these children, including their degree of adjustment, motor activity, peer acceptance, ability and performance, and their health problems…

Outlines an approach to chemistry experiments designed to help students appreciate the importance of each step in an experimental procedure. Describes an experiment involving Charles's Law to illustrate this idea. (TW)

Description of research activities in the field of instructional technology in Latin America highlights distance education, microcomputers, educational radio, learning strategies and study habits, and instructional development models and design of textbooks. Problem areas discussed include students' role, cognitive styles, and effectiveness, and…