The six articles in this issue tackle topics that relate to the role and function of numeracy in adult life. "Reading Comprehension in Written Mathematics Problems" (Sue Wareham) examines the levels of reading ability required of numeracy students and offers strategies to help students with limited reading skills. "Can Ordinary…

This module is part of a training program for foster parents and foster care workers offered at Colorado State University. The module examines religious practices in foster homes. The module's learning objectives address: (1) the religious background of a foster child's birth family; (2) the rights of a foster child's birth parents concerning the…

This paper describes the experiential therapy program at the Bowling Green Adolescent Center (New Jersey). This model supports the view that the therapeutic process of addiction treatment is accelerated and enhanced by providing the patients with experiential interventions. Experiential therapy includes goal setting, hands-on participation,…

This report describes the success of SWAS (School Within a School), an early dropout intervention program designed for average to above-average at-risk middle school students selected by the assistant principal. SWAS is a temporary self-contained institution within Davisville Middle School, North Kingstown, Rhode Island. As a prerequisite to…

An introductory theatre course at Prince George's Community College (Maryland), taught by a team of three instructors, makes use of contract grading to permit students to become actively involved in theatre on several levels of interest. This paper describes the course and provides a course syllabus, list of contract options for the course, and a…

The programs of the College of Environmental and Applied Sciences at Governors State University have competency-based curricula emphasizing individualized and self-paced learning within an interdisciplinary framework. This article describes the instructional programs, student contract procedure, cooperative education venture, intercollege…

This booklet describes the mini-awards programs that are provided by teacher centers as an alternative form of inservice teacher education. Mini-awards (or mini-grants) are monetary incentives given to an individual teacher or to a group of teachers to encourage curriculum and staff development and to address the professional needs of teachers.…

The methods used to assign grades to students have long been of concern to teachers. Traditional approaches to solving the difficulties have centered on norm-referenced and criterion-referenced evaluations. A promising alternative arises when criterion-referenced evaluation is linked with contract grading. A student may contract with a teacher to…

This book is for both elementary school teachers and students. Suggestions are provided for the teacher on ways to organize time, space, and materials with the emphasis on individualized instruction for the pupils. Materials for the students include activities and small questionnaires structured to reveal to the teacher each child's attitudes,…

The inservice teacher workshop trainer's manual includes an abstract of the minicourse, and lists activities, handouts, and assignments for sessions on improving classroom behavior and self concept. The document is divided into four sections, each focusing on a workshop session. Workshop sessions cover the use of contracts, reward programs, and…

The Unified Studies Program began at Boston State College in September of 1974. Its model is based on team-teaching, learning contracts, small interdisciplinary seminars, and other open-classroom and unified educational learning/teaching techniques. Boston State College had been compelled to shift its academic assumptions because of financial…

In an effort to reward excellence and discourage mediocrity, an accountability-based salary system has been implemented for all administrators in the Kalamazoo school system. Administrator salaries are adjusted for performance and/or reclassification reasons. Judgments of performance are based on the extent to which an administrator achieves…

The effect of ninth-grade general mathematics students signing contracts for achievement grades on their mathematics achievement and on their attitudes toward mathematics was investigated. Four classes were used in the study; each of two teachers taught one experimental and one control class. The Test of Mathematical Skills and Concepts and The…

In October 1972, questionnaires asking for information on legislation and achievements in education were sent to all State departments of education, legislative service agencies, State school boards associations, and State offices of the NEA and AFT. In most States, one or more of the organizations sent a reply. The compilation in this book is…