The role of instructional coach is being piloted in four schools within the Department of Defense Dependents Schools system. One teacher from each school is appointed as an instructional coach for teachers in the building to provide a range of services leading to improved instruction and student achievement. This collegial/instructional coaching…

Methods used in an educational indicators pilot project studying the conditions in primary schools in the least developed countries are described. Sample surveys with 88.88% to 100% response rates were conducted in 14 countries. Recommendations are made for improving sampling techniques in underdeveloped countries. (SLD)

This pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility of using PDAs (personal digital assistants or palm pilots) as a data collection device in studying information seeking behaviors of undergraduate students. Discusses results that shows heavy use of Internet search engines and that most information searches do not extend beyond the first…

Describes a pilot study that compared three course formats in an undergraduate course: traditional format, Web-based section, and a hybrid that mixed traditional and Web-based methods. Discusses student performance, student satisfaction, instructor experiences; and implications and recommendations for Web-based courses. (LRW)

Offering hypertension screening within the Black community in a convenient, nonthreatening environment can aid in reduction of morbidity and mortality attributable to high blood pressure in Black men. This article describes a successful pilot program which used volunteer barbers to perform on-site hypertension screening for their customers. (IAH)

Describes a pilot project by the University of California to provide access to biomedical and health sciences literature through the integration of the MEDLINE database into the University's MELVYL online union catalog. The discussion covers the design, implementation and evaluation of the system, current planning efforts, and key technical and…

Describes a project that is developing an intelligent search intermediary to help users locate relevant passages in large full text databases. (The system automatically reformulates Boolean queries to improve search results and presents retrieved passages in decreasing order of estimated relevance.) The current status of the project and plans for…

Describes a pilot study in which a single database was constructed to provide access by both descriptors and cited references. For each query, two equivalent sets were retrieved and evaluated for relevance to the query. It is concluded that using both search methods can increase both recall and precision. (32 references) (CLB)

To address early care and education challenges, this article outlines some concrete strategies illustrated by several programs, including ALERTA (a multicultural, bilingual approach), the Maryland Certification-Accreditation Project, the High/Scope training of Teacher-Trainers System, a Florida community collaboration project, and the Kennedy…

Students in a dozen school districts across the nation are learning about Third World cultures through a pilot program recognizing the districts as Leaders in Developmental Education. The three-year project will produce a resource manual for other districts interested in enhancing instruction about developing nations. Participating districts are…

Junior Great Books Curriculum model uses interpretive discussion within the reading process to help students of all reading abilities understand literature, or construct inferential and thematic meaning from their reading. Program was piloted in third-grade classes in 13 Chicago schools between 1989 and 1991. The model's cornerstone is the…

This article describes the development and structure of a self-advocacy training program, the Self-Advocacy Leadership Training Institute, to help individuals with disabilities to exercise choice in vocational rehabilitation services and in other areas of life. A pilot program and two institutes were conducted, resulting in the training of 36…

Discusses the evaluation of WETLANDS, an environmental science distance education pilot project that linked science teachers and students in 26 secondary level schools. Results show that students understand the importance of environmental issues and appreciate the value of wetlands. Evaluation forms are appended. (JMV)

Describes the development and pilot program implementation of an online campus information service at the University of California at Berkeley called Infocal. Highlights include the establishment of an advisory committee; target audience; control; quality; confidentiality; legal issues; commercial information; policies; computer power; and…

Describes workplace literacy pilot programs carried out by the National Automotive Language and Literacy Coordination Unit in the Australian automotive industry. Discusses their systematic and integrated approach to language and literacy issues within the context of accredited mainstream training rather than via separate bridging or remedial…