Parents of students with moderate (n=38) and severe (n=15) disabilities indicated their preferences for the percent of a typical school week spent on functional life skills, academic skills, friendship/social relationship development, and other educational activities. Both groups of parents preferred that the largest percentage of time be spent on…

Traces development and implementation of a 4-day school week at an Alberta junior high school that extended the school day 40 minutes, resulted in more classes taught in a shorter time period, and decreased student discipline problems. Describes parent and community reactions. Includes recommendations for planning educational change. (LP)

This first part of a study focusing on the consultation and teaching roles of elementary school library media specialists examines relationships between the methods of scheduling students into the library media center and the curriculum consultation activity and information skills instruction performed by library media specialists. (five…

This third and final part of a study focusing on the consultation and teaching roles of elementary school library media specialists examines relationships among scheduling methods, consultation activity, information skills instruction, and the planning process, culminating in a model for collaboration between media specialists and classroom…

Partnerships between local education authorities and higher education institutions are recommended for developing inservice training for British teachers of special educational needs students. A four-level training model is presented, comprising school-based training, a certificate course, a diploma course, and a master's degree in education…

This study examined issues related to improving the quality of distance education courses that were raised by university students in Australia. Focus group sessions were held in rural and urban areas in Queensland that discussed student interaction with lecturers, assessment tasks, flexibility, study materials, mentors, and educational technology.…

Describes programs developed by the Chicago School District to renovate and revitalize its school libraries. Topics include funding, other educational reforms in the district, updating library collections, updating librarians' skills, increasing budgets through grants, flexible scheduling, corporate support, relations with the Chicago Public…

Growing student diversity, reports and government mandates, ninth-grade transition problems, and middle-school influences have produced new enthusiasm for high-school reorganization. Restructuring approaches such as block scheduling, differentiated instruction, academic teaming, house plans, career academies, heterogeneous grouping, and integrated…

A recent project collected and analyzed student success indicators generated by six high schools from a large, midwestern school corporation. Schools with clear student goals and enhanced professional-development opportunities made more successful transitions to block schedules. High achievers remained successful; low-achievers struggled under…

Describes a student mentoring project that helped integrate technology into middle school classrooms. Discusses students mentoring teachers and peers; online mentoring training; scheduling; media specialist/teacher collaboration; student entrepreneurship; and guidelines. Lists related Web sites for further information. (LRW)

Compares the 1995-96 curricula of U.S. optometry schools, focusing on clock hours and proportion of curriculum devoted to specific content areas. Results indicate greater variation in some areas than in others, and changes in curricular emphasis since a previous study, particularly consolidation in hours devoted to basic sciences and expansion in…

Discussion of Northern Arizona University's experience with implementation of distance education for upper-level language courses looks at problems encountered and solutions adopted in the areas of communication of assignments and exams, out-of-class interaction of teachers and students, classroom configuration, equipment reliability, scheduling,…

This article discusses the challenges faced by a first-year special education teacher at a public high school. Challenges included issues such as behavior management, deciding what to teach, scheduling and time, working with a paraprofessional, collaboration and mainstreaming versus inclusion, paperwork and meetings, and training and support.…

Summarizes a study on block scheduling for second-language programs among Canadian middle school students. Results show that students studying French on a block schedule (e.g., one-half day instruction over a 10-week period) performed better on standardized tests than did control students who received standard 40-minute per day French instruction.…

A survey of workers participating in a manufacturing plant workplace English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) program resulted in these suggestions: schedule classes during the work day, with class time paid for, replace a cash incentive program; hold lessons in a meeting room, not cafeteria; and involve greater number of employees and employer in…