The growing movement to privatize school management is a reason for comparing compensation and responsibilities in the private and public sectors. Despite the enormous salary gaps, public outrage over superintendents' salaries is common. Sensitive taxpayers might favor superintendent contracts including pay-for-performance factors resembling those…

Two cooperative learning techniques are presented for achieving carryover of speech and language skills: a speech-language peer homework monitoring system; and a contractual system among the student, the clinician, and the student's class in which group contingencies foster cooperative interactions. (JDD)

Describes a quasi-experimental study comparing students' perceptions of empowerment in two sections of a graduate social-work course. One section was taught using a traditional format of lectures, exams, and papers. The other was taught with techniques intended to empower students: learning contracts, formative evaluations, and narrative…

Describes a system of contract grading in an introductory college composition which the author devised and has used for two years, in which all students sign a contract that delineates requirements for a course grade of "B." Discusses these requirements, how students can raise their grade, and student responses. Notes that a continued dialog about…

Discusses eliminating bond issues for facility energy management upgrades by using performance contracting. Explains that performance contracts create savings that help support financing new equipment over a specific number of years. Financing options, performance contracting tips, and an example of its use in St. Louis (Missouri) are highlighted.…

The aim of this article is to explore the relationship between the desired outcomes of the National Plan for Higher Education and the funding formula. It further wants to explore the current situation regarding specific challenges in higher education, namely increased participation, broadened social base of students and equity, as well as a…

Contract learning is an approach to classroom instruction that emphasizes teacher-student collaboration in the teaching-learning process. Participation in instructional decision-making encourages students to take responsibility for what happens to them, and it engenders a greater sense of commitment to the outcomes of the music program. In music…

This document contains papers and transcripts from a university faculty colloquium which shared views about teaching methods and information on successful approaches. Following a copy of the colloquium announcement and a brief introduction, the main section presents transcripts of the presentations. The first discusses the structure and role of…

This brief information sheet presents two strategies to motivate gifted students and is based on the book, "Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom", by Susan Winebrenner. The curriculum compacting strategy allows students to spend less time with the regular curriculum and more time with extension and enrichment activities. The…

Guidelines for establishing and maintaining classroom learning centers are contained in this booklet. The following topics are included: (1) a rationale for creating learning centers; (2) how to orient the children to the new learning center and some important aspects to consider when developing a learning center environment; (3) ways to create…

Four curricular models are contrasted: the performance model (which is exemplified by most college curricula), closed and open contrast models, and the "experimenting community" in which learning experiences emerge from a process of interaction. This latter approach is elaborated upon in terms of its emphasis on nurturing improvisational learning,…

Describes "Biology 201--The River," an ecological and environmental study of the impact of man and urbanization on the Des Plaines River and its Drainage Area in Chicago. Each student selects his/her own study project, which involves a "contract agreement" with a faculty member, a data generating experiment, library research, a…

In accordance with a Legislative Budget and Audit Committee special request and the provisions of Title 24 of the Alaska Statutes, a review was conducted of the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education's experience with various collection contractors used to collect defaulted student loans. The primary purpose was to assess the success that…

While self-pacing may appear to be an ideal solution to problems stemming from individual differences in academic skill levels among college students, students in Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) courses may tend to procrastinate. Three course contingencies were studied for their effectiveness in reducing student procrastination and…

Describes a middle school science program that emphasizes choices, diverse potential experiences, independent study, and individualization. (JR)