Three years of training programs (1966-69) for new department chairmen at the University of Utah are described. Differing formats (with their relative advantages and disadvantages) for acquainting new chairmen with the scope of their jobs, their activities, and some appropriate administrative techniques are outlined. Such problems as peer…

This preliminary report discusses a study designed to test whether improved organizational problem solving could be produced in a school faculty by training in interpersonal communication skills. The training intervention, in a junior high school, used exercises designed to increase awareness of interpersonal and organizational processes. Rather…

A number of characteristics distinguish human relations or sensitivity training from other forms of experience-based education, including learning goals, desired outcomes, and assumptions about the learning process. Although research evidence on the effectiveness of human relations training is ambiguous, due to difficulties of research design and…

Presuming that the innovative process should begin at the point at which a need for change coincides with the means of satisfying that need, the English teacher can update his instructional approach by examining, on the one hand, the student's felt need for articulate expression and a sympathetic listener, and on the other, the current advanced…

Strategies and materials for reading instruction in adult basic education are covered, together with psychological and sociological characteristics of undereducated adults. Demonstration centers, curriculum materials programs, and related efforts are described. Such innovations as basal series for sequential reading skill development, programed…

This study was designed to determine if the regional educational laboratories funded under Title IV of Public Law 89-10 had accepted the charge to become educational change agents. Thirteen critical variables that describe essential change-agent functions were extracted from pertinent literature to provide the framework for a content analysis of…

This study, funded by ESEA Title III, has concerned itself with that program's ability to encourage local school authorities to accomplish needed educational reforms and to consider implications for future program activities. Suggestions are included for those concerned with the administration of Title III at the State level. The information upon…

"Transescents" -- the prefix "trans" meaning "to go across" and the suffix "escent" meaning "to become something" -- are young people in transition from childhood to adolescence. The middle school organization presents educators with an opportunity for improved educational processes uniquely suited to students of this age group. Transescents are…

A combination research and demonstration project focuses on the improvement of education for disadvantaged children. After gathering data and analyzing the information about the behavior of culturally disadvantaged children, the knowledge gained was used to develop educational methodology for improved instruction. The final report includes a…

Ecology, the study of natural resources, and influences on natural resources are the concerns of this study, along with the idea of learning how to live with and understand our resources. This manual gives a detailed presentation of using the outdoors as a classroom and, although written on a more advanced level, probably could be adapted even to…

A 2-year evaluation of the small secondary schools program in Oregon views the project from many perspectives. The report briefly discusses the geographical environment of the state, citing the principal occupations of each area. Other aspects discussed include geographical-economic implications for small schools; family structures and ethnic…

Beginning in 1956 about 250 students in two London, England junior schools were intensively studied over a 4-year period for intellectual, educational, emotional, and social development. The schools approached instruction differently; one was child-oriented; the other was subject-oriented. In 1964 this followup study was conducted with some of the…

Creating more differentiated, specialized work roles within teaching can be viewed as a response to a structural lag in school systems. Organizationally, differential staffing attempts to correct inefficient use of human resources by providing a more individualized program to maximize the use of teacher talent. This paper discusses aspects of…

An in-depth study of public housing in New York focuses almost exclusively upon the cost analysis aspect of decision. The costs of various construction techniques, design arrangements, and materials have been collected and analyzed. The stated aim of the report is to reduce cost as much as possible, with user comfort being a secondary…

The first part of the document presents a collection of workable ideas, organized by topic, which were submitted by principals who used them to improve the programs in their schools. Some areas of interest covered include community involvement, student-choice electives, parent reporting, career education, and counseling and changing behavior. Also…