This article discusses some of the Government's current agendas for schools that appear to be in direct conflict with each other. For example, the positive effects of Every Child Matters, personalised learning, inclusion and collaboration are seen as complementary, but their implementation is viewed as being held back by the current regime of…

Many educators think of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) on a disciplinary level--what is Environmental Education's (EE) contribution to a more sustainable future? Briefly, we describe differences and similarities between EE and ESD. Next, we examine four levels of activity--disciplinary, whole school, educational system, and…

Head Start, the nation's largest early childhood intervention, has enjoyed public and political support. The program has also been haunted by persistent questions about its role in communities, its sustainable impacts, and its quality. This book discusses the past, present, and future of Head Start in the hope of creating better partnerships…

This paper addresses the potential of various proposals to reform a broad group of human-service organizations. It challenges two reform strategies that currently receive considerable attention. One strategy promotes collaboration among human-service organizations in an effort to deliver services to clients more efficiently and effectively. A…

Five beginning elementary teachers met weekly with a mentor in a group in order to support one another, discuss their experiences, view each others' videotaped lessons, and learn how to become reflective practitioners. At the beginning of the year, the teachers most valued the emotional support and understanding they received through group…

This publication describes the Academy for Educational Development's (AED's) vision and work in school-to-work transition and related areas. School-to-work transition is defined, and components of a successful school-to-work transition system are listed. The National Institute for Work and Learning (NIWL) is currently conducting an extensive study…

This paper presents findings from an action-research study of 12 New Zealand primary school principals working in partnership to develop their professional leadership. Since 1989, New Zealand schools have undergone extensive administrative reforms, resulting in increasing isolation among school leaders and a cult of managerialism. The…

This report describes the progress of the Michigan Adult Literacy Initiative (MALI), adopted by the Michigan Board of Education in 1985, through 1990. It covers the collaborative accomplishments of a statewide team of literacy supporters that represents a comprehensive spectrum of public and private concerns. Part I is an introduction that…

The Ohio Educational Reform Bill, S.B. 140, mandated that each school system adopt a school-choice policy for parents and students of adjoining districts. This paper describes the choice options that were developed by the Steubenville City Schools and Franciscan University. To meet the state requirements, the Steubenville school system first…

This book describes two studies, the first of which is a single case study that interprets the practical knowledge of an exemplary fine arts supervisor. An analysis of ethnographic data portrays the supervisor's practical knowledge as constructed around a dialectical orientation between two constructs or landscapes of imagery: the empowerment and…

This paper examines the practice of using cohorts in administrator-preparation programs from conceptual and practical viewpoints. The first three sections describe the current state of affairs of cohort usage; the final section explores the potential of the cohort structure as a means for developing leaders committed to creating communities of…

This report evaluates the dissemination to rural communities in New Jersey of a program previously found to be successful in rural Appalachian communities. The report evaluates the collaboration process between Research for Better Schools (RBS), the New Jersey Rural Assistance Council (RAC), and Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL), who…

This book presents case-study findings of five school systems' efforts to become true learning communities through action research into the school-renewal process. The programs were located in the Southeast, Midwest, Far West, and an overseas region of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools. The programs shared three characteristics: a focus…

The movement toward school-based management (SBM) has promoted the need for self-imposed accountability. This book provides specific examples of strategies that schools have used to successfully implement SBM and to enhance their accountability functions. Chapter 1 provides the rationale for undertaking accountability measures, and the second…

Work-based learning is a competency-based experience that integrates classroom instruction with structured work site experiences. Its purpose is to allow students to gain occupational and employable skills while applying and advancing their academic abilities. This guide contains strategies and resources to help educators involve the business…