For 3 years, from 1966-68, data were collected representing the behavioral, social, and medical characteristics of over 20,000 retardates, the resident population of 22 state institutions for the mentally retarded in 13 western states. The data were returned to the institutions where they stimulated research, program development, evaluation, and…

Southeast Alternatives describes six elementary and secondary schools -- the result of a 1971 proposal for Federal funding for experimental schools to bridge the gap between experimentation and actual school practice and for evaluation of the effort. Discussion of the mechanics of implementation, including organization, governance and finance, and…

Summarized are the results of a 2-day conference that brought together federal administrators concerned with manpower services for welfare recipients and researchers who had recently completed studies bearing on such efforts. The researchers, who were sponsored by the Department of Labor in studies relating to the Work Incentive Program, focused…

This volume serves as an introduction to and a summary report of the project and provides a description of the context, the rationale, and the objectives of the Studies. The first five chapters describe the purposes to be served by the study, the preparations necessary to serve those purposes, the directions taken and the decisions made to…

The utility of a quasi-experimental evaluation design for estimating benefits derived from a program to match job-seekers to openings listed by employers was examined in three studies of Job Service referrals and placements in Washington and Oregon. Data examined included a mail survey of a sample of 587 Washington residents referred to job…

This report synthesizes the findings of four studies that focused on school districts as the center of focus for school-improvement efforts. The studies did not examine school systems that had been high performing for a long time; rather, they took their data from districts serving high percentages of students who typically struggle but were…

The effectiveness of the National Center for Study Adult Learning Literacy's (NCSALL's) Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network was examined by reviewing how, from 1997 to 2001, adult basic education teachers from 14 states served as liaisons between practitioners in their states and the NCSALL by engaging in the following activities:…

The fourth in a series of studies investigating the educational context and outcomes for high school students with disabilities (SWDs), this study examined types of courses in which SWDs are being enrolled, and the role perception of special education teachers. Twenty-one special education teachers from three high schools in urban areas, three in…

A key objective of a federally funded grant received by the Wake County Public Schools (North Carolina) was to develop new methods of assessment. The school district decided to fulfill this objective by developing student electronic portfolios. In spite of careful planning, the development of the electronic portfolios was filled with difficulties.…

This final report discusses the outcomes of a project that gave outreach assistance to programs providing services to students (ages 3-16) with severe social, emotional, and behavioral disabilities. Programs receiving assistance from this project provided services to students in fully inclusive general education classrooms, in partially inclusive…

A model for the assessment of funded vocational and career education projects presents a methodology for collecting data on innovative processes and materials, selecting promising practices, compiling selected innovative practices in a handbook, and dissemination of promising practices. The authors include a flow chart for the selection…

The instructor of a university organic chemistry course describes how he has incorporated ideas about student motivation and self-regulated learning into his instruction. Specific strategies for active and Socratic learning and instruction are outlined, from modeling and classroom interaction to use of instructional materials, testing, and…

Experiences of the author support the contention that professors and practitioners in education face common dilemmas, and share the practice of teaching, but are not bound by any professional community. Professional communities based on commonalities in teaching can be constructed for those in higher education and the public schools. (SLD)

A number of recent approaches to instruction appear to improve the thinking skills and academic performance of low achievers. Lists six steps to successful reform and an additional six strategies focused on alienated low achievers. Provides information sources for programs described. (MLF)

Delineates the nature of applied geography, asserting that geography links the natural and social sciences. Underscores geography's role in data analysis and problem solving on a global scale. Traces the discipline's history. Maps geography's status in higher education institutions. Discusses new technologies used by geographers. Summarizes career…