This report discusses findings from a study that investigated the effectiveness of a student's improved self-knowledge of his or her specific learning disabilities in achieving academic success and improved self-advocacy skills. Forty-four general and special education faculty members and para-educators, and 13 ninth-grade students and their…

This report describes the implementation of portfolio assessment in order for students and parents to become more aware of students' academic growth in writing for first/second grade students and math for seventh grade students. The targeted population consisted of elementary and middle school students in two middle class communities, located in…

An action research project explored whether teacher access to information about high school students at the beginning of the semester would result in changes in instruction and interactions with students. Nine pilot project teachers received instruction in how to access the school district's student database, along with information about access to…

This study focused on the problem of deaf and hard of hearing learners who have very low English literacy levels compared to their ability levels. Participants in the study were deaf and hard of hearing adult learners in the Adult Basic Education Program of the Center on Deafness in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This mixed urban-rural population had…

When a university educator reflected upon her experience as a teacher of preservice English teachers, she concluded that integrating action research into three courses and an internship assignment can be effective, and perhaps, more effective than a separate, theoretical course in action research itself. Most educators agree that action research…

This action research project sought to improve the social skills of targeted third-graders. The problem of students exhibiting a lack of social skills was documented by means of student discipline referrals, anecdotal records, and teacher surveys. Evidence indicated that students failed to solve conflicts in positive manners, were unable to work…

This action research project sought to increase parental involvement in targeted kindergarten classrooms. Evidence for the problem included the lack of family attendance at school functions, declining membership in the parent-sponsored Booster Club, and lack of parental support for school policies. The project focused on three areas of parental…

High quality education for all students is promoted nationwide. University teacher educators must deal with reality as they provide instruction for prospective teachers. If schools and teachers are to improve, then college faculty must also improve. This must be a unified effort in which higher education institutions work with existing and new…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program for enhancing students' social skills in order to increase their ability to work cooperatively and to resolve conflict. The targeted population consisted of kindergarten students in a lower income urban school, located in a medium-sized Midwestern city. The problem of insufficient…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a curriculum designed to help students with varying degrees of emotional intelligence improve their social adeptness. The targeted population consisted of sixth-grade students in a large urban setting in central Illinois. The students' levels of social ineptness were determined and documented…

Students need democratic models operating in their daily lives and opportunities to exercise their democratic rights and responsibilities. From 1995-1997 an action research project studied the effect "Judicious Discipline," a democratic citizenship model for school and classroom management, had on students, educators, and parents.…

This handbook is designed to identify, build, maintain, and expand teachers' personal and professional effectiveness using "MegaSkills." Section 1, "Knowing Your Leadership Strengths," focuses on identifying strengths, exploring how adults learn, and considering new dimensions for successful education. It also discusses seven habits of good…

This report describes a program for teaching students to use specific strategies to construct meaning from text. The targeted population consisted of elementary and middle school students in a growing urban community in northern Illinois. The lack of reading strategies was documented by data describing the reading behaviors and achievement of the…

Environmental factors are being increasingly recognized as playing a role in school effectiveness and educational outcomes. Volume 1 examines what is known concerning the diagnosis, design, and management of environmental quality in schools, and the perceived relationship between environmental quality and educational outcomes, as revealed in an…

This paper stresses the importance of collaborative evaluation and discussion for helping preservice teachers develop the disposition and skill to engage in self-evaluation. Participation in the action-research process can enhance students' abilities to analyze different types of teaching experiences. (Author/PP)