A deeper understanding of the adult-learning process has produced a substantial consensus about the critical attributes that constitute effective professional-development practices. This volume presents findings of a study that examined the design, implementation, and impact of systemic reform efforts to in-depth case studies of three…

The press for the professionalization of teachers is based on the assertion that a strengthened profession will more effectively meet students' needs and improve the overall quality of education. This volume, the second in a set of three, presents detailed individual case studies from a study that examined the design, implementation, and impact of…

The Pennsylvania Department of Education's Learn and Serve America K-12 Grant Program distributes funds from the Corporation for National Service to schools to develop and expand service learning programs throughout Pennsylvania. The 1995-96 grant program is currently funding 101 school-based programs (70 recipients of continuing funds from the…

This paper describes the use of cooperative teaching to teach all students in the general education classroom and the three most promising approaches to implementing cooperative teaching: team teaching, supportive learning activities, and complementary instruction. The first method, team teaching, is defined as having the initial presentation of…

This paper describes a survey to determine the impact on teaching and learning in education by teachers, library media specialists, and students participating in Bell Atlantic's "World School" Internet program in West Virginia schools. Teachers, library media specialists, and students with K-12 Access e-mail accounts participated in this…

A practicum was designed to develop training that would increase teachers' understanding of an integrated curriculum and how to plan for implementation. Subjects were 23 teachers at a K-5 elementary school. Training was developed to provide a common knowledge base of an integrated curriculum, productive collaboration and planning, and…

A comprehensive practicum curriculum was designed with close collaboration between University of Newcastle (New South Wales, Australia) music education staff and experienced cooperating music teachers from area schools. Cooperating teachers and music education staff participated in a weekend seminar to identify practicum problems and determine…

The Corpus Christi Literacy Council (CCLC) is an independent, non-profit educational organization operating through joint partnership and grant activities with Del Mar College (DMC) and community and government organizations in the Corpus Christi (Texas) area. The major purposes of the council are to establish comprehensive reading programs for…

The feasibility of combining the resources of the school districts of Ottumwa, Iowa, and neighboring areas with Indian Hills Community College into a comprehensive program for Ottumwa high school students at a regional site was investigated. An articulated vocational program, beginning at the junior high level, would extend through high school,…

The Alpena Community College (ACC) Drivers Education Program was developed to deliver a basic skills program providing specific job-related basic skills instruction to approximately 300 workers throughout Michigan who desired to pass the Commercial Drivers License (CDL) examination. Other program goals were to establish greater partnerships…

This bibliography provides an introduction to literature regarding strategies for educational improvement within the rural context. Ninety-three journal articles and books cover the following areas: (1) curriculum design and teaching methods, including research reports, case studies of improvement programs, and manuals used in implementing or…

Innovative work being done in the area of educational assessment is explored, focusing on the experiences of the State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The following projects currently being carried out by the CCSSO are described: (1) the Secondary Academic Standards and…

The development of a needs instrument designed to assess the continuing education needs of school administrators is described. The instrument was constructed to assess the administrators' continuing needs in: (1) principalship; (2) the school as a system; (3) problem solving; (4) staff development; (5) collaborative long-range planning; (6)…

In most schools, especially urban high schools, teachers are colleagues in name only. Some schools, however, do foster substantial collegial relationships among teachers; and when schools are organized to support such teacher collaboration, the benefits are substantial. To make teacher collaboration possible and effective, two fundamental…

Ben Hill-Irwin Technical Institute and the Georgia Interconnect Association designed and developed jointly a project to provide basic knowledge and practical application skills training. The curriculum included all necessary competencies for a student to graduate as a communications network technician. To compensate for the added expense of…