The article presents a rationale for merging special and regular education in elementary/secondary schools. Steps that higher education could initiate to facilitate such a merger include: strengthening collaborative and cooperative efforts, restructuring organizational units, reorganizing program offerings and content, and coordinating with state…

Examines the effects of school types and ability grouping within school types on individual student performance. Results demonstrate that students in high ability groups gain more and students in low ability groups gain less over a five-year period than they would be expected had they not been separated into ability groups. (Author/PS)

Discusses findings based on studies of lower secondary school aged children in Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Compares and contrasts the curriculum, school organization, teacher roles, and student achievement problems in these countries. Offers perspectives on what is needed for comprehensive lower secondary schooling.…

The growing teacher shortage and increasing bureaucratization of schools make it imperative that new means be developed to make teaching more attractive as a profession. Teacher organizations, professional newsletters, informal discussion groups, networking, ad hoc pressure groups, and alternative schools might provide some route to reform. (KH)

Establishing a program to help teaching assistants (TAs) become better teachers is discussed, including advantages/disadvantages of five possible organizational locations: individual course instructors, departments, colleges of education, other individual colleges, and a central administrative office. A mix of locations and criteria for assessing…

A proposal is offered for restructuring the elementary school into two divisions. At the primary level (K-3) the focus would be on acquiring basic skills, while at the upper level (4-6) these skills would be applied to literature, social studies, mathematics, and science. (TE)

Many talented beginning teachers leave the profession in the first 2 years. The author explores the reasons and presents a plan for principals to follow to help retain beginning teachers. (MD)

Results of study indicate that there is no significant difference in attitudes of six to eight year olds attending innovative or traditional school; however, nine to eleven year olds attending innovative school had "significantly more positive attitudes toward school" than those attending traditional school. (Author/RW)

This document was prepared as a focusing tool related to national, regional, and state Summits for Student Support Administrators as they explore ideas for Moving Forward in New Directions. Contained are a concept paper entitled: "New Directions for Student Support" and a set of related resource aids. The concept paper focuses on: the…

The nature of direct and indirect effects of local management of schools (school-based management) on learning outcomes for students has remained elusive. The findings from a 5-year longitudinal study of the "Schools of the Future" reform in Victoria, Australia, are reported in this paper. The Victoria system is the largest public school…

This book studies the role of the global education movement and its impact on educational change and reform. The volume discusses the importance of global education and considers the following topics: the influence of research on practice; global education as a social movement; meaning and activity; competing demands and the use of time in…

This paper is a summary of the history, organization, programs, students and facilities of Rio Salado Community College (RSCC), an institution in the Maricopa Community College District (MCCCD), Arizona. RSCC was founded in 1978 as a college with no central campus designed to cater to adult students. Today, the college is comprised of seven…

Addresses the need of school districts in many states to decide on an appropriate mingling of centralization and decentralization in the operation of activity funds. Argues for analysis of activity fund operation through a breakdown into such major components as policy, the accounting system, and reporting and auditing. (JBM)

The author of "A Study of Schooling," following up an article in the March "Phi Delta Kappan," notes the noncorrelation of school satisfaction with teaching methods or curriculum; discusses educational goals; examines schools' concentration on noneducational factors; and recommends changes in goal-setting, school-level…

Faced with declining enrollments and poor morale, U.S. higher education must address the fundamental issue of how a modern society organizes to develop its people. A new human learning system requires citizen awareness of self-development needs, a sense of the individual's place in society, and interinstitutional cooperation. Examples are…