In its efforts to promote equity and excellence for Hispanic children, Western Service Systems, Inc. (WSS) serves parents, teachers, administrators, and public officials through research, creative thinking, design and implementation of new programs, coalition building, communication, and information. During 1983-84, WSS addressed the issues of…

This paper describes the Renewal Institute for Practicing Educators, a staff development program designed specifically for rural teachers. The institute is a state-funded cooperative effort between school districts and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. It provides tuition-free spring and summer workshops for rural teachers in science,…

This paper is one in a series of studies which highlight and synthesize recent research and practice in educational management. The paper presented here discusses recent research findings and current practice on the adoption, implementation, and integration of microcomputers into the instructional program at the elementary and secondary levels.…

Intended as a response to the call for reform of education in the United States, this volume presents theories and practical examples school personnel can use in order to bring about change in reading programs. The articles and their authors are as follows: (1) "Characteristics of Exemplary Reading Programs" (S. Jay Samuels); (2)…

Needs of collegiate mathematics across the nation are considered, and suggestions are offered to the National Science Foundation (NSF) by a professor of Mathematics at St. Olaf College (Minnesota). Changes in mathematics content, scope, and applications have implications for the college curriculum. Problems and challenges are posed by: increased…

Program improvement activities can be classified into four categories based on the source of the impetus and the locus of the change agent: systematic, symbolic, opportunistic, and pragmatic. This paper (1) describes the various approaches to implementing Chapter 1 program improvement activities at the state and local district levels in 13 western…

Macomb Community College (MCC) in Warren, Michigan, has a commitment to support business and industrial development, consequent employee retraining, and program design. In addition to helping workers in their retraining and/or relocation, the college provides systematic support in the development of basic skills. Occupational programs have tended…

The 1983-1984 report on the postsecondary desegregation progress in Maryland is presented. The goals of the 1980 plan, the status of attainment of the goals, and recommended corrective action are indicated. The goals concern the following areas: undergraduate accessibility; graduate/first professional accessibility; enrollment in fields where…

Articles on discrimination against women scholars and information on change strategies and resource groups are presented. The status and self-expressed needs of women scholars, as revealed in a recent survey of over 1,000 San Francisco Bay respondents, are considered in an article entitled "Status and Needs of Women Scholars" (Mary L. Spencer and…

The Innovations Program, established by the Australian Schools Commission in 1974, was a small national program aimed at fostering local actions for change in Australian primary and secondary education. In this report, the author begins by examining different approaches to educational innovation and reviewing the literature on innovation. Part 2…

A conference attended by local, state, and national leaders and community members: (1) identified educational needs in the Frederick, Maryland area and (2) initiated an ongoing process of communication among community and education leaders. This innovative forum was sponsored by Community Commons, a citizens group, three local colleges (Hood,…

Five articles are presented concerning student aid planning and educational policy, based on experiences gained in regional workshops conducted by the National Institute of Independent Colleges and Universities (NIICU). The purpose of the workshops was to translate the data gathered in the NIICU Student Aid Recipient Survey into formats useful for…

Teachers and administrators preparing for small or rural schools need better preparation in the sociological and economic factors prevalent in nonmetropolitan education. Although each geographic area has different needs, educators must be made aware of the cultural, social, and economic factors of the areas they serve. Preparation programs for…

This document presents a strategy for education reform. It focuses on four major issues: (1) the students' future employability; (2) strategies for increasing the nation's investment in education that would increase payoffs for students and society; (3) a program for upgrading the professionalism of teachers and improving the quality of education…

This essay presents an approach to substantial and long-range curriculum change in three stages: planning, implementation, and evaluation. Planning, to which three quarters of the paper is devoted, is defined as a deliberate, collaborative, continuous process of determining and providing for the most effective manner to implement a change. The…