The requirement that home schooled students score at or above the 40th percentile on a nationally standardized test runs counter to several widely accepted principles of measurement. A single score should not be used alone in decision making, and there is no evidence that this is a valid use of the test. In addition, the 40th percentile is not an…

A study analyzed attitudinal and demographic factors that influence women's choices of traditional and nontraditional training programs. A career choice survey was constructed, based on results of responses by four focus groups to questions regarding training program selection. The survey was completed by 532 women students in 15 technical…

This case study examines a 2-year faculty-centered professional development program for high school teachers. The program, which used a Foxfire approach (Wigginton, 1986) and was based on Deweyan principles (Dewey, 1963), involved having the teachers initiate, pursue, and share self-selected, independent group learning projects. Inservice sessions…

This report presents findings of an evaluation study of the District of Columbia's special education service delivery model (SDM) which focuses on decentralization, to school-based teams, of the processes of identification, assessment, and placement of special education students. The SDM was initially implemented as a pilot project with 40 schools…

This paper chronicles the transition and adjustments of a teacher educator and a group of preservice teachers from the application of the case study method in their university classrooms, to their preparation for and participation in a national team case competition, to the impact of this experience on their subsequent personal and professional…

This study was conducted to identify the most salient organizational and personality factors contributing to burnout for elementary, intermediate, and secondary teachers; and to determine the pattern of causal predominance linking these stressors to burnout for each teacher group. Participants in the study, full-time elementary (N=599),…

This paper reviews the theory and practice of teacher ethics. It defines ethics and examines the content of the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession adopted by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1975. An informal survey of 30 teachers found that none had a specific course or workshop in the area of ethics. When prompted to give…

School board members are entrusted by taxpayers to establish and maintain quality in their school systems. Unfortunately, most board members lack the experience or training necessary to face a wide range of new and daunting challenges. This book was designed to help school administrators and board members understand the principles of Total Quality…

School-based management (SBM), the decentralization of decision-making authority to the school site, comes in many variations. However, all forms of SBM require a rethinking of how and where budgeting, curriculum, and personnel decisions are made. This bulletin provides an overview of what SBM is and how it is implemented by summarizing some of…

The Commission on Innovation (CI) was an independent citizens' panel formed by the California Community Colleges (CCC) to investigate the improvement of college services without relying on increased funding. This report presents 13 specific strategies and 73 action steps developed by the CI, organized into three broad areas of improvement. First,…

A random sample of 700 current and former continuing education (CE) students were surveyed by mail in May 1992 to identify ways to improve programs and services. Responses from 333 confirmed that CE enrolled a diverse group of students. They chose Ohio State University primarily for its location and program availability. Almost 40 percent of the…

This volume examines learning, teaching, and reflective practice. It is a personal account of a summer institute held in 1989 during which 21 teachers engaged in an exploration of writing and reading. Among metaphors discussed at the institute, one of the most powerful was the notion of teaching/learning being created from a fabric of interwoven…

To provide practice in making design decisions, collecting and analyzing data, and writing and documenting results, a professor of statistics has his graduate students in statistics and research methodology classes design and perform an experiment on the effects of fertilizers on the growth of radishes. This project has been required of students…

This policy brief presents a discussion of what needs to be done to empower, attract, and retain good teachers. Consistent with educational reform efforts, the Southeastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE) invited the 1992 and 1993 Outstanding Teachers of the Year from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina…

The Knowledge Engineering for Young Scholars (KEYS) Program was a National Science Foundation (NSF) program conducted at Louisiana State University during 1989 and 1990. The program's goals were to increase 8th-12th grade students' exposure to science, acquaint them with university research, stimulate interest in science, and build their…