The "Writing What You Read" (WWYR) rubric was designed for large-scale assessments, and differs from most narrative rubrics in its narrative-specific content and its developmental framework. The rubric contains five analytic subscales for theme, character, setting, plot, and communication, and a sixth holistic scale for overall…

In spite of a widespread commitment to the comprehensive high school, the nation has long had specialty or theme schools and schools that target particular children. Magnet schools, alternative schools, and Catholic schools illustrate that the idea of specialized schools is not new. Recently, the concept has received a boost from a study by the…

The curriculum renewal movement has two interconnected goals--to empower both teachers and students and to move from a skills-based curriculum to a process-based one. With so much educational effort focusing on reading and writing, and with new information supporting holistic approaches coming from psycholinguistic and language arts studies, it…

Kurt Lewin's seminal work in organizational communication could potentially help solve many dilemmas faced by workplace literacy programs as they attempt to ensure that program participants not only learn basic skills but also use them in the context of work. According to Lewin's "field theory" approach, an individual's behavior is a…

This book is intended to motivate persons working in the human and social service occupations toward fuller personal development as well as to improve professional competence. The first part discusses the process of becoming a more fully functioning person. Human potential, barriers to personal growth, self-fulfillment, and seeking pathways to…

A practicum was developed to empower pre-service teachers to become more confident in their attempts to motivate and encourage young children to write. Emphasis was placed on the use of holistic philosophies relating to writing, in contrast to more conventional methodologies. Student participants included junior teacher candidates enrolled in…

The Science of Alcohol Curriculum for American Indians uses the Medicine Circle and the "new science paradigm" to study the science of alcohol through a culturally relevant holistic approach. Intended for teachers and other educational personnel involved with American Indians, this curriculum presents a framework for alcohol education…

This paper discusses a series of questions that state policymakers can use to assess the systemic nature of their education reform efforts. Suggestions are offered for identifying the evidence of scope, coherence, and balance of reform. To assess the scope of reform, a first step is to determine if the performance-based standards provide the…

Independent schools have traditionally held the view that education must address the whole person, not only the intellectual, artistic, and physical dimensions of life but also the fourth dimension, the spiritual or religious dimension. The spiritual dimension has a place in school life, and character development or moral education is primarily…

Engineering is the science, art, and business of designing and getting things done; engineers are required to make things happen through interpersonal relationships. At Monash University (Australia), a new course, Management for Engineers, was set up in 1990 to encourage a more holistic approach to the process of engineering. The course included…

This book presents a case for the development of classrooms based on constructivist pedagogy, which seeks to: (1) pose problems of emerging relevance to learners; (2) structure learning around "big ideas" or primary concepts; (3) seek and value students' points of view; (4) adapt curriculum to address students' suppositions; and (5) assess student…

This book presents an analysis and critique of the historical context and forces that have shaped and still continue to influence contemporary mainstream American education. Its central argument is that the nation itself, not the schools, has entered into a decline, and that the education of youth for the sake of national economic superiority is a…

A holistic training program for rural teachers of mainstreamed special-needs students and other students at risk sought to improve teacher knowledge about and attitudes toward high-risk students. The graduate-level course was delivered in 6 full days of instruction and included components covering innovative instructional methods, abuse and…

A course was created at Pennsylvania State University to support graduate students in the field of education as they struggle with integrating the many fragmented perspectives developed over the course of graduate study into an integrative perspective that thoughtfully informs their qualitative dissertation research inquiry. The course presents…

A study used the Reading Retelling Profile to examine the effectiveness of the holistic instructional approach called "reading workshop," which involves increased time for sustained silent reading, authentic literature in the reading program, a choice of books to read, written response journals, group discussions, and a supportive…