It is the responsibility of colleges and universities to help prevent ambitious hardworking students with some ability from academic failure in their freshman vear. (IR)

The main results of this study were that paying students to attend counseling sessions significantly improved their final grades. Paying students to study mathematics was only effective among the brighter impulsive students. (Author)

This article discusses the recommendation that the twelve Ontario teachers colleges become integrated with the province's universities. (Editor)

Article stressed the need to re-evaluate our priorities and assign a fair share of our assets to the problems of aging, to balance the equations of growing old in America. (Author/RK)

The author expresses agreement with a preceding article by Gideonse in the same issue but questions his assumption that there is a solid foundation of knowledge on which to base pedagogical training and suggests that reductions in force currently make inservice education more worthy of focus than preservice education. (Author/JM)

The author defines school climate, summarizes the rationale for climate improvement from evidence on improved student behavior, and outlines the climate improvement process originally developed by the Colorado League of Schools for Climate Improvement and now the basis for an ASCD staff development kit. (Author/SJL)

A recent study asked 178 secondary school principals at 100 schools to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies used with at-risk youth. The most effective strategies were afterschool programs, Chapter I programs, teacher aides, coping skills, and peer tutoring for middle schools; and individualized instruction, teacher aides, and summer school…

Discusses how teachers can become certified as distance learning specialists and how to improve skills needed to teach with telecommunications technologies. Highlights include programs in North Carolina; Utah State University's Distance Learning Endorsement Program; the University of Wisconsin's Distance Education Certificate Program; and the…

Describes 360-degree feedback that provides performance data from multiple points of reference. Topics include reasons for performance improvement; what needs improvement; how to improve; choosing a reliable 360-degree instrument; and applications of 360-degree feedback, including personal development, team development, change, and needs…

Suggests that performance consultants are at their best for the benefit of clients when they assume the role of facilitator, not solver of clients' performance problems. Describes the four requirements involved in facilitation: Facilitators, Exemplary Performers, a Model, and Resources. Illustrates how to implement and use the four features of…

This paper has shown how XML (extensible Markup Language) can be used to mark up content. Since XML documents, with meaningful tags, can be interpreted easily by humans as well as computers, they are ideal for the interchange of information. Because XML tags can be defined by an individual or organization, XML documents have proven useful in a…

Although arguments in scholarly journals claim that leadership is critical in initiating and sustaining school improvement, ambiguity surrounds the sources and role of leadership. In addition, little research documents how educators involved in school improvement perceive who leads, how, why, and for what purposes leadership is important. This…

The Increasing Course Rigor Pilot Project, a joint initiative of the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices and ACT, Inc., is one component of Phase Two of the NGA Center for Best Practices Honor States Grant Program. The project, which began in winter 2006 and concluded in summer 2007, was designed to improve the quality…

The Massachusetts Department of Education's Accountability and Targeted Assistance (ATA) Center maintains and manages the state's School and District Accountability System. Results from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) are used to identify public schools and districts that are likely to require state intervention in order…

This paper reports that the basic opportunity to learn does not exist in many countries, and that a concerted management focus to assure that schools provide basic elements of an opportunity to learn (OTL) could potentially yield big improvements in learning. The paper assesses: (1) what basic factors create the opportunity to learn; and (2) to…