The Student Achievement Mode (SAM) gives teachers a system for collecting and analyzing data in order to increase student achievement in classrooms and schools. Developed in 1 school, the model is currently used in 63 elementary and 8 secondary schools in a large school district in Florida. The purpose of SAM is to increase student achievement,…

Education is arguably the oldest known profession in the history of mankind. It predates any other form of interactive processes that humans have participated in with each other. From the beginning of time man has been either the recipient or the deliverer of knowledge. It was not until sometimes later, after man's arrival on earth did formal…

Study results indicate that parents and students, working together, do try to follow suggested counselor leads, except in areas of vocational planning. (CJ)

Results of a study involving 13 color-deficient and 15 color-normal pupils in grades three through six, show no evidence of relationship between color vision and achievement. Supports findings of previous studies by Lorenz and McClure (1935), and Shearron (1965). (CJ)

Argues that formative research (research intended to provide practical answers) is an important tool in the production of effective programs for use in instructional television, particularly in developing nations. (JJD)

Briefly reviews some of the major theories about the conceptualization of the research policy interplay and identifies assumptions on which existing research is based. Introduces an original theory which assumes the concepts, ideas, and knowledge have no meaning independent of their use and the task of inquiry is to identify and criticize the…

Ethnography can encounter such problems as timing and sequence, validity, superficiality and bias toward the typical. More than just participant observation should be used by anthropological researchers. Ethnographers should be active, joining in the responsibility for changing the circumstances of everyday life in schools and school communities.…

Outlines an action research project to evaluate school-focused inservice teacher education and training in 40 schools in England. (IRT)

Describes how staff at a Wisconsin elementary school developed a plan that dramatically increased parents' participation and visibility and created a useful method of tracking and measuring that participation. Teachers used a simple grid to chart parents' participation in various activities throughout the year. By the second year, the school had…

A participatory action research study of male former tradeworkers studying to be teachers showed how their cultural ideology of toughness, racism, and sexism was moderated through reflection on culturally specific narratives that influenced a transformation in cultural beliefs and practices. (SK)

Discusses what individual schools and teachers can do to examine their practices systematically while linking improvements to school improvement efforts at district and state levels. Action research is a refinement of the process every teacher goes through while trying to improve. Improving the education process teacher by teacher seems society's…

Action research allows teachers to find their own answers to classroom questions and issues. The five-step process for action research involves picking a problem to study and determining one's knowledge, collecting the data, analyzing the data, reporting the results, and planning actions using the knowledge. (SM)

Community educators in six cities involved youth in documenting ethnic gardening practices with master gardeners. Interviews with 29 educators, 28 participating youth, and 4 gardeners found that youth learned about gardening, developed positive relationships with elders, and enhanced skills. Implementing participatory research required more…