In light of recent calls by educational organizations to abolish tracking because of its role in perpetuating inequities in achievement among racial and ethnic groups, this digest looks at current school detracking efforts. An initial section reviews the extent and reasons for tracking and the concerns raised when detracking is proposed, noting…

A study was done of the school reform and restructuring effort in the Chicago (Illinois) Public Schools specifically of the extent to which the legislative mandate for restructuring, new management, and constituent interests has been translated into educational policy and voter turnout in local school council elections. The study used data from a…

A review was undertaken of strategies for increasing Hispanic American parental involvement in their children's schools. Despite the continued strong extended family support for child rearing in the Hispanic American community, parent participation in their children's education is quite low. Studies show that many Hispanic Americans regard the…

This chapter on collaborating with families is taken from a guide to designing, implementing, and evaluating instruction and services for students with disabilities. The chapter provides information abut values-based, family-centered programs that will involve all families and improve education programs and student outcomes. The tone is meant to…

A practicum was developed to improve the involvement of minority parents and low-income families in the education of their children. Subjects were 30 parents and 17 teachers and staff. A parent resource center was organized at a Head Start site in a public housing community where parents attended workshops and were provided with school and…

This practicum involved the design and implementation of inservice training sessions for educators, to reduce the incidence of limited English proficient (LEP) pupils being inappropriately referred for possible special education placement. The inservice sessions covered the difference between a linguistic diversity and a handicap, prereferral…

The involvement of an actual class in the conduct of a product evaluation is described as a powerful learning experience for the students and a valuable service for a client. The essential elements of such a program are: (1) a teacher-negotiated contract for an evaluation; (2) students who sign on by enrolling for credit; (3) background provided…

Literacy development was studied among 40 kindergarten students at Lummi Tribal School (Washington). Data consisted of observations during weekly classroom visits throughout the school year, student writing samples, records of "pretend reading," responses to environmental print, and teacher checklists concerning literacy experiences in…

This report highlights the safety initiatives developed at 31 public school districts across the country and designed to ensure that students have a safe and secure learning environment. Specific initiatives include violence-prevention programs, collaborative efforts among schools and communities, gang prevention and intervention efforts, peer…

A grant project sought to encourage minority participation in teacher education, while offering individual tutoring and mentoring to at-risk children. Involved in the project were 3 Mississippi State University Meridian senior education majors, 4 Meridian Community College sophomores with expressed interest in teacher education, 5 Meridian High…

This document consists of materials on Hiawatha (Kansas) High School's 1993 Job Olympics, a competition for high school students with disabilities. The materials are those included in a packet for student participants. A cover/information sheet details eligibility, entry deadline, date and place of competition, opening ceremonies, events, and a…

Chapter 1 schoolwide projects are intended to serve educationally disadvantaged students by improving the instructional program provided to all students in high-poverty schools. This report provides a comprehensive look at schoolwide projects in the 1991-92 school year, using data from surveys of all schoolwide project schools. The response rate…

As part of the school improvement process, the Springfield Public School (Massachusetts) has involved all constituencies in the community in implementing the Schools of Choice plan. This guidebook was prepared to assist parents and students in determining the best program and schools for their needs and desires. Parents of elementary school…

This 3-year project provided support services to 16 sites (in 8 states) which implemented the BEACON model (Bilingual Early Assessment and Curriculum Outreach Network) to screen, evaluate, and serve young (ages 2-8) bilingual children with disabilities and their families. Major components of the BEACON model are: (1) bilingual children with…

This practicum focused on preventing referral to special education by meeting the needs of kindergarten and first grade children identified with behavioral or academic problems in the mainstream classroom. The practicum emphasized: (1) early identification of potentially dysfunctional children; (2) development of individual education plans…