This paper presents a holistic conceptualization of the school as an autonomous system. Two major scientific paradigms, reductionism and holism, are outlined and their impacts on educational administration are discussed. Findings of a study that investigated the participation of the governing bodies of independent schools in the schools'…

This book presents a holistic approach to fitness, opens channels of information, and identifies useful resources and references. After an introduction to the subject of health related fitness, the book presents 12 chapters answering the following questions: (1) Why Not Be Fit? (2) What Is Physical Fitness? (3) Why Participate in Fitness? (4) What…

This packet summarizes the ideas, concepts, suggestions, and speculations growing out of a think tank which explored the uncharted region beyond cognitive learning. The packet contains: (1) an alphabetical list of 1991 and 1992 participants; (2) a list of participants' interests according to key terms; (3) summaries of small group discussions…

Educational visions developed by two participants in the Education 2000 project--Redwood Falls, Minnesota, and Yonkers, New York--are described in this paper. An overview of the blueprints that are being developed from these visions is provided as well as a description of the design process. The Education 2000 process offers a new design for…

This book presents a compilation of papers generated by the research unit of the Comer School Development Program. The program operates from the basic theme that if school staff understand child development and how to organize and manage their school building as a social system, a climate that facilitates learning among the greatest number of…

This paper summarizes the results of a symposium on assessment procedures at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, a residential/day school for children with sensory impairments. Experience with top down assessment utilizing a wholistic approach is emphasized. First a brief description of assessment in the parent infant program is given. Then…

Innovative methods and strategies are described for teaching writing to potentially English proficient (PEP) students (also known as "limited English proficient"), who may or may not be literate in their native language, using holistic natural approaches. The approaches are based on the premise that students acquire language (speaking,…

A conceptual and empirical analysis of findings from the development of a comprehensive classroom-based, direct observational measure of classroom environment is presented in this paper. The System for Teaching and Learning Assessment and Review (STAR) differs from traditional instruments of direct, systematic classroom observation in that it…

The history and goals of the League of Schools Reaching Out, a national program of the Institute for Responsive Education (IRE), is described in this report. The league is IRE's principal national strategy to show how family/community/school partnerships can contribute to school restructuring aimed at increasing the academic and social success of…

This packet summarizes the ideas, concepts, suggestions, and speculations growing out of a think tank which explored the uncharted region beyond cognitive learning. The packet shows that participants were divided into groups to discuss teaching, research, bibliographic information, theoretical ideas, and professional issues. The packet contains:…

Systems theory and its application to educational administration are discussed in this paper. An extensive literature review concludes that systems analyses are based on the concept of interdependence and on the assumption that the whole may be greater than the sum of its parts. Applications to educational administration include model building,…

This practicum sought to increase the opportunities for 17 first-grade students to write for real, human reasons and in natural circumstances. They were to use writing as a natural and acceptable outlet for expression, and to conceive of their writing as an extension of themselves. Each day a name was drawn to take home a stuffed bear, which…

Past research has examined middle adulthood as a developmental process with outcomes predictive of development into old age. A study was undertaken to explore adult psychological and career development from an ecological perspective taking into account factors that influence and modify self-perception, values, identity, and social interaction. A…

This paper provides a brief overview of some of the current thought on teaching problem-solving and decision-making skills and presents selected exercises that have been used successfully in a graduate course in problem-solving and decision-making strategies. In addition to learning theories that are presented in order to help learners understand…

This paper presents criteria for a reading program for Native American children based on the theory that these children have learning styles grounded in right hemisphere (brain) dominance. To test this theory the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised was administered to 197 Native American children. Test results are interpreted to…