In 1995, the North Carolina General Assembly directed the North Carolina State Board of Education to develop a plan to bolster student growth and performance in grades 4-8 throughout the state. In response, the board developed the ABCs of Public Education. (ABC stands for Accountability; teaching the Basics of reading, writing, and mathematics;…

Statistics is generally classified as a difficult course. In this regard, promoting an active learning environment is a popular instructional strategy. However, there is much evidence in the literature of a literal and simplistic interpretation of "active learning environment". This report describes an approach to facilitating introductory…

This book is intended for those who are worried about the state of schools and who want to improve them. It focuses on the Authentic Teaching, Learning and Assessment (ATLAS) program, which brought together the most successful ideas and practices of four partner organizations (Education Development Center, School Development Program, Harvard…

Appraisal and continued improvement of counselor performance is a significant phase of the guidance program improvement process. School counselors must be able to: (1) deliver guidance curriculum for all students; (2) plan individually for each student; (3) respond to requests by students, parents, and teachers; and (4) plan and coordinate…

Beginning in the fall of 1999, all programs of the Child and Youth Services Administration of the District of Columbia Commission on Mental Health Services were ordered to implement a performance improvement plan. This report looks at how successful one clinic was in improving performance in one year. The objectives were to: (1) increase the…

This document lists the 16 characteristics that help integrate comprehensive program planning into the regular school program and other family-support systems. The 16 characteristic arose from a review of research on effective afterschool programs and interviews with active program sites. The characteristics are as follows: climate for inclusion;…

Manpower shortages in semiskilled occupations are being solved by upgrading workers stuck in entry-level jobs in this federally financed, union operated program. (BH)

Ganado Primary School located on the Navajo Reservation--in its attempt to decrease absenteeism--has formulated and implemented an attendance improvement plan which has provided encouraging results show positive implications for its adaptation into similar programing in other schools. (ERB)

Student interest in improving the quality of science teaching at Oxford University led to an active role for the Oxford University Junior Scientific Club during the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. Students presented papers and organized lectures, demonstrations, and exhibitions to disseminate scientific knowledge. (IS)

The lesson of educational change failures in the sixties is that educational change requires staff initiation and control as well as support from the surrounding culture. Recent studies point to a new agenda for educational change in the eighties that will succeed only if the mistakes of the sixties are avoided. (JM)

Describes the results of a study of three programs successfully teaching basic skills. Characteristics of successful schools include careful alignment of curriculum and instruction and grade-level instructional planning. (Author/JM)

Beginning with statements indicating the serious inadequacy of America's science education, the author describes a National Science Foundation program to recruit principals to support science education improvement and to conduct inservice training in science education for their teachers. (JM)

Suggestions are offered for developing positive relationships among teachers and parents and the community in general. (Author/MLF)

Presented are brief descriptions and comments by administrators of some California arts programs on producing a quality arts program inexpensively. Topics discussed are: initiating a Comprehensive Arts program, the use of CETA artists-in-residence, curriculum development, and the coordination of a high school fine arts program. (Author/SJL)

A personal approach to instructional development that uses teaching consultants is described and illustrated with anecdotes from the first year of one such service at a large midwestern university. This individualized approach emphasizes the particular needs, interests, and limitations of each teacher-client on a case-by-case basis. (JMD)