This report envisions Texas schools using one another as resources and the campus planning process as a vehicle for implementing research-based concepts and practices in the middle grades. Since Texas' restructuring effort will not succeed without commitment to staff development from all levels of the education community, the need for teacher and…

This report outlines a strategy whereby New York's Regents Committee on Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities plans to implement recommendations of the New York State Board of Regents Select Commission on Disability. Implementation will begin with those recommendations that have the greatest near-term impact on…

In a response to the National Governors Association (NGA) goals and objectives related to second language study, the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL) makes a case in support of 10 NGA principles for change. It is emphasized that the study of a second language must remain an essential component of any efforts to improve the quality of…

Among the goals and recommendations for agriculture and natural resource education presented to the University of Wisconsin System institutions and Board of Trustees by the Steering Committee for Strategic Planning for Agriculture and Natural Resources are the following: (1) provide domestic and international leadership in research on food and…

Factors that contribute to excellence in education, as well as those that have contributed to the failure of change efforts, are the subject of this document. It provides a summary of the literature on reform efforts; effective schools; new organizational perspectives derived from the business sector; organizational restructuring being tested in…

The study identified possibilities for improving farm incomes on limited-resource farms in eastern Kentucky. Objectives were to describe farm operations of full-time Appalachian farmers who had gross sales of less than $5,000 in 1972, estimate potential increases in net farm incomes from given resources, and identify nonresource constraints on…

A systems approach is used to show how changes in the design of English training programs for training international teaching assistants (ITA) have affected curriculum design. The approach is described, and three phases of curriculum development are outlined: initial design, ongoing reform, and radical renewal. The history of ITA program design…

This document reports how the Council of State Policy and Planning Agencies (CSPA) Academy process helped nine states develop workplace literacy initiatives involving their governors' offices, the Job Training Partnership Act system, and the educational system. The states were Florida, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee,…

This collection of conference presentations focuses on the twin themes of restructuring and technology in rural schools. Rural America's increasingly polarized demographics, political leadership voids, teacher training, renewal strategies, and ever-shrinking budgets are discussed, along with ongoing media criticism, which is a reality for all…

Responding to the National Commission on Excellence in Education's report on the status of education in the United States, Secretary of Education, T. H. Bell, addresses six questions: (1) Given that the Commission discussed the federal, state, local, parental, and student roles and responsibilities, who should take the lead in education? (2) How…

Research and practice have shown that staff development is the key to the successful implementation of any effective schools project. Staff development is defined as the ongoing, job-related, research-based activity provided for employees to maintain and improve their competencies. Part 1 of this paper outlines components (such as district-level…

Two models for the structure of college/university Senates and Councils in in Western Australia are proposed, and 50 recommendations of the Tertiary Institutions Governance Committee are presented. The Committee reviewed the governance of: the Senates of the University of Western Australia and Murdoch University, and the Councils of the Western…

Internal and external changes affecting higher education and responses that student personnel workers can take are discussed. Societal changes that influence colleges include a declining birth rate, changing sex roles, and shifts to an information-based society. Notable political trends that affect colleges include accountability requirements,…

The use of rites and ceremonials to influence the practice of advising in the college setting is considered, with attention to rites of passage, enhancement, renewal, and integration. During the rite of passage, the new status of advisor is assumed and may be formally signified by distribution of the advisor handbook and informal socials with…

This module attempts to put participants into contact with the limited or stereotyped manner in which most of us view our world. By doing so, it sets the stage for examining ways to bring parents, employers, and school staff to an expanded world view, particularly as that view encourages wider career opportunities for youth. Training in developing…