This paper describes the development and implementation of a project to prepare science support teachers to work in four junior high schools in Toledo, Ohio. The project was collaboratively developed by the Institute for Research on Teaching at Michigan State University, the Toledo school district, and the American Federation of Teachers. The…

The necessity to adjust to changing circumstances constitutes a motivating force for learning. Implementation of the legislative change in Medicare reimbursement in the United States requires change on the part of the health care system and adaptation by the individuals within that system. Two studies examined ways health care professionals in the…

This book investigates the educative role of theater in processes of social change and development, and considers how to evaluate the use of theater as a small-scale medium in realizing development projects based on a participatory or interventionist model. The book is in three major parts. Following an introduction and an introductory chapter,…

The resource guide consists of a Metaphor Module which is designed to be conducted with an audience of school leadership teams. Teams from several schools, in the same district or in different districts, can come together for the day-long workshop. The morning is spent learning the language of a nautical journey as a metaphor for the middle-grades…

The Tenderloin Senior Outreach Project (TSOP) in San Francisco facilitated the development of intentional networks among elderly residents of eight single room occupancy (SRO) hotels in an attempt to improve residents' health and well being, and to focus on social and environmental change. The 45 block Tenderloin area is one of the largest…

The roles of change agents in community development are manifest (surface actions of agents interacting with clients) and latent (derived from undercurrents that give directions to the agents' actions). Manifest roles are as starter (facilitator, analyzer, leadership developer); go-between (informer, linker); and accomplisher (organizer,…

Reality Therapy was adopted as the treatment modality to be used with youths at the Maine Youth Center, the only juvenile correctional facility in the state. To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, staff members completed a series of self-report instruments and gathered demographic and attitude data three times during a 2-year period in…

During times of economic uncertainty, how can universities develop and sustain resources for engagement efforts? This article focuses on how a university-wide research and outreach coalition at Michigan State University called Families and Communities Together (FACT) is exploring a variety of funding approaches and implementing successful…

How do people experience engagement? We explore this question by interpreting stories of engagement, stories associated with projects undertaken in conjunction with the W. K. Kellogg Foundation's Leadership for Institutional Change (LINC) initiative. The stories convey a sense of what it means to be and feel engaged: it is a resonant experience,…

Due to limited resources in developing countries, finding the most effective means to achieve educational goals demands finding alternatives with the lowest possible costs. Classroom management attempts to use the human and material resources already present to improve both the quality and the quantity of learning through time-on-task. The…

On April 5, 1989, the Bush Administration submitted to the Congress a legislative proposal entitled the "Educational Excellence Act of 1989." This report provides a description of the President's proposed education legislation and modifications to the proposal by the Congress, plus a brief analysis of each of the provisions. The seven…

School administrative decisions must be based on a broad range of input; the power of group thinking is required to ensure that the best decisions are made. The necessary transition from the old, closed autocratic administrative decisionmaking system to a new, open democratic organization requires not a radical leap, but a gradual transition. The…

The Policy and Priorities Committee of the Education Commission of the States (ECS) has developed a 3-year plan to guide reform and restructuring of the American public school system. Given the complex challenges facing schools, colleges, and policymakers, ECS focused on three priorities. First, it is necessary to restructure schools, colleges and…

This document describes, in a narrative mode, a simulated public education campaign to stimulate cross-campus awareness of, and dialogue about, attitudes toward homosexuality. The campaign described begins with a letter to incoming freshmen, alerting them to the presence of gay and lesbian students and emphasizing the need for mutual respect and…

In 1982 the "Recht decision," in Pauley v. Bailey, found school financing in West Virginia to be inequitable and prescribed quality standards for every aspect of public education. This report examines teachers' responses to resulting school reform efforts. In-depth interviews were conducted with over 200 selected teachers and…