This manual is the fourth in a set of training manuals for Head Start staff. It contains descriptions of workshop modules on the topics of (1) language development in children, (2) creativity in children, (3) the Individualized Education Program (IEP), (4) building self-esteem in families, (5) family development, (6) effective communication, and…

This paper presents, describes, and explains the results of Project SIGN (a school improvement groups network) collaboratively conducted by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the Camp Lejeune Dependents' Schools during the 1989-90 school year. The collegial, professional in-service program, designed to improve school effectiveness…

This report describes the first year of a 3-year transitional bilingual program for Chinese, Japanese and Korean middle school students in the Torrance Unified School District. The program focused on four specific areas: student instruction, staff development, materials, and parent involvement/education. Project students, once identified, were…

A study presents descriptive and correlational results from questionnaires and tests administered to approximately 650 children in two cohorts, who, with their parents, are participating in a longitudinal study of reading comprehension development. Results from kindergarten and first-grade students showed low but positive correlations for parents'…

This report describes activities from 1986 through 1990 of the Mastery in Learning Project, which focused on "restructuring the school" and "sharing decision making" at one elementary school in Lewiston, Idaho. Based on need surveys of various constituents of school life (administrators, students, teachers, and parents), a…

A study investigated the contribution of adult education in complementing and mediating the effects of early formal schooling on life chances, job satisfaction, and general well-being. Data collected for the cohort of Swedish men followed up in the Malmo study from 1938 to 1988 were examined. The study used measures of home background, disposition…

The 33 articles on dropout prevention in this compendium were published in the "IDRA Newsletter"--the newsletter of the Intercultural Development Research Association--between April 1986 and September 1989. They can serve as resources for individuals and organizations addressing the needs of at-risk minority group students and their…

Existing choice plans, which allow parents and students to choose among a variety of schools, vary dramatically in size, shape, and purpose. Different types of choice programs have different impacts, especially on low-income and minority group students; and it is not yet clear how school choice programs should be structured to assure that those…

Because the ultimate power to control school reform is in the hands of the superintendent or some other similarly positioned administrator, the reforms tend to benefit some student or constituency groups more than others. Judging from the personal characteristics of most superintendents and the political context of the superintendency itself, it…

Guidelines for facilitation of a teacher workshop on participative decision making, with a focus on the development of a school improvement plan based on consensus, are offered in this manual. Session topics include: perceptions, creativity, brainstorming, consensus building, and action planning. The introductory section defines workshop goals.…

Project CHOICE was designed to offer Chinese-speaking students of limited English proficiency (LEP) the opportunity to study business, technical, and computer subjects at Seward Park, and Washington Irving High Schools; subsequently, Norman Thomas High School was substituted for the latter school. Students received instruction in English as a…

The Learning English as a Second Language (ESL) with Los Cumbancheros project was developed through the collaborative efforts of several New York State Government offices, community school districts in the Bronx, and the private corporate sector. Its objective was to provide supplemental services to at-risk students of limited English proficiency…

Ten principles based on the interactive nature of language learning and teaching include the following: (1) the student is the language learner; (2) language learning and teaching are shaped by student needs and objectives in particular circumstances; (3) language learning and teaching are based on normal uses of language, with communication of…

A national survey of parents of school aged Asian, Puerto Rican, Mexican American, and Cuban students was conducted to examine what educational preferences language minority parents have regarding the role of English and non-English (home) language in the instructional process. A second purpose of the survey was to determine what factors are…

Developed by a suburban school district, this manual provides guidelines for the early identification of gifted preschool children and describes Project Unicorn, a project to conceptualize, plan, and implement a classroom curriculum model for gifted young children. Project activities were based on Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development and…