This paper describes aspects of a program at Sammons Elementary School (Houston, Texas) designed to create a learning community that includes preservice teacher education students, practicing teachers, university faculty, and Sammons students and parents. The school has been designated as an Urban Professional Development Site for the Sam Houston…

On most international comparisons of educational achievement, United States' schools fare poorly. A closer look at how several foreign countries educate their children, as well as the political process for setting educational policies, suggests a multitude of initiatives that could be profitably adapted to the American educational system. A survey…

This training package assists educators in improving the delivery of services to culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional (CLDE) students at the classroom level. It is based on the necessity of addressing multiple systems (e.g., the child, the family, and the school), with emphasis on mildly disabled over other levels of disability and on…

This book presents a parent involvement model built on a foundation of public school-based parent education seminars and home-based infant-toddler play-and-learn activities. The goal is to ensure that children begin their school experience ready to learn and become competent, confident learners. The book begins with a historical overview of…

A study explored the application of reflective judgment theory to the types of problem solving faced by students in community service placements. It also tested the impact of different service-learning experiences on growth in reflective judgment over the course of a semester. Participants were 66 students in 6 colleges and universities. They were…

The first-year evaluation of a two-way Spanish/English bilingual education program at two Austin (Texas) elementary schools is presented. The developmental program has as its objectives the development of students' oral proficiency in Spanish and English, development of grade-level appropriate literacy in both languages, increase in academic…

The goal of this civic education program, written for six through ninth grade students in the form of an instructional guide/student workbook, is to help students develop citizenship skills important for intelligent and effective participation in a self-governing society. Specific educational objectives include helping students learn: (1) how to…

This lesson plan for the second and third grades uses information on dinosaurs, their adaptations and survival, to provide science education for limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in San Diego, California. The primary text is "Los Dinosaurios Gigantes," a core literature book used in the school district. Lessons are based on the whole…

This document contains a series of learning materials for 3rd and 4th graders and their families. The materials are designed to augment classroom learning. Included are worksheets, games, and other skill building activities for writing, reading, math, citizenship, and science. These activities are meant to help children prepare for proficiency…

Based on principles of the Council for Basic Education, this book outlines a curriculum and pedagogy for an elementary school which would prepare children for national fourth grade examinations. The book is divided into six sections. The first section examines the background of elementary school students in the 1990s and presents ways for schools…

Eight selected papers from a conference on the teaching of foreign languages cover three main topics: learner-centered priorities; learner-directed strategies; and planning strategies. After an introduction by Lorraine A. Strasheim on learners and learning outcomes, the papers and authors are as follows: "The Developing Child: What Every FLES…

This report provides an end-of-year summative evaluation of the STEPS (Striving Toward Excellence in the Performance of Students) program, which was first implemented in elementary schools in 1983-84. The program, which is based on research on effective schools, focuses on school improvement efforts in six areas: (1) aligning instruction with…

Intended to highlight the importance of including families and members of the broader community in children's learning, this report discusses the role of businesses and employers in helping partners and family members be more involved in children's learning. The introduction, "Making Family Involvement in Learning a Goal" notes the three…

This booklet is a practical guide to the use of games, role play, and simulation in the classroom to encourage active learning and increase opportunities for experience and reflection. Basic principles for use of these techniques are presented and include determining the game objective, planning for progressive learning processes, planning a…

This case study of a university-school collaborative project examines the roles that seventh grade language arts students can play in classroom curricular decision making, the degree to which a teacher can negotiate with students about content, and how both students and teacher are able to balance the dynamics of control and responsibility for…