Outlines the development of an independent, nonprofit online community information network. Governance, information services, Internet access, development and funding, and partnerships are discussed. Community networks as local platforms for pilot projects and their value as local coalitions are explored. Sample menus and screens are included.…

From a National Steering Group perspective, this article reviews the recent history of the national framework for teacher appraisal in England and discusses six lessons to be drawn from a project that tested the new system. Appraisal is still associated with controversy and poor industrial relations, arouses suspicion, is politically complicated,…

Rip Van Winkle would not recognize Corsicana (Texas) High School since its curriculum coordinator began implementing learning styles techniques in various pilot programs. Lecturing to rows of bored students has been replaced by students' active involvement in group activities, listening centers, and tactile/kinesthetic exercises on the floor or at…

Describes the CLIC (Connecting the Library with Instruction in the Classroom) program in the Henrico County (Virginia) Public Schools, a pilot program designed to investigate the concept of flexible scheduling in school library media centers. The discussion covers the areas of planning (selection of participants, literature review, and teacher…

Interagency collaboration to serve youngsters' needs should be comprehensive, preventive, child-centered, and flexible. Streamlining collaboration involves mapping the territory, surveying the field, reviewing current needs and services, developing a plan, and getting started. Pitfalls include talking without acting, creating an interagency czar…

The two articles in this special section discuss the use of portfolios in large-scale assessment. Both describe pilot studies of portfolio assessment, pointing out pitfalls and advantages. If portfolios are to realize their potential in assessment and instructional improvement, teachers, students, and the public must receive better information…

Journal writing was tested for reduction of stress in parents of premature infants. Educational materials were provided to parents. Journals were used for documenting involvement in care, record-keeping, and organization of thoughts. While only 32% of parents kept the journal, those who did found it helpful. (Author/EMK)

Outlines the preliminary findings of a pilot study carried out by the Australian Broadcasting Authority. Considers the issues related to the content of online services, the impact of recent technical developments and content labeling. Compares regulatory responses in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, and identifies areas of…

Presents a holistic method for describing basic writers and their writing to encourage classroom research at two- and four-year colleges and enables comparisons of basic writers across institutions. Offers some preliminary results from the pilot study to illustrate the type of findings this approach yields and highlights the importance of such…

Describes pilot research that informed the early stages of development of the Catch Up Programme, a literacy intervention designed for children who are behind with reading at the start of Year 3 (7- to 8-year-olds). Finds a considerable increase in pupils' reading ages across a 10-week period. Finds similar results in another small study. (RS)

Responds to Closs' (1994) article concerning the project management concerns of the UK PROSPECT system. Suggests that the problems encountered in the implementation of UK PROSPECT were not caused by project management, but were, as suggested by Watts (1993), economic and political in nature. (JPS)

Examines (in a pilot study and the first two phases of a longitudinal study) preventing the emergence of written language difficulties by addressing the ability of preschoolers to make phonological judgments. Notes that children identified as having poor rhyme awareness were given one-to-one training, and that students were given training in…

Reviews historical antecedents and present-day context of literacy teaching in bilingual communities. Outlines four biliteracy categories of language learners. Highlights three projects with different bilingual contexts and different combinations of learning factors. Asserts that literacy instruction should not be restricted to the mother tongue,…

Reviews literature concerning effects of gastrostomy as alternative nutritional intake on children with developmental delays and their families. Finds that although gastrostomy has been shown to be effective in maintaining adequate weight and nutritional intake, the support given to the family prior to and after the operation is inadequate.…

Examined the academic and curriculum implications for social work education of the "Looking After Children" materials as pilot tested at two British universities. Found that the materials provided an excellent tool in preparing students for child welfare practice, offered a structure through which learning could be integrated with…