With adequate guidance and support, parents can be surprisingly effective helpers in a schoolwide writing assessment. Allentown (Pennsylvania) School District relied on parent volunteers to evaluate the overall effectiveness of ninth graders' essays describing a meaningful experience. Because parents' expectations were unbiased, they found…

A framework for decision making in implementing development projects has three dimensions: (1) personal and project expectations; (2) multiple responsibilities (to whom is the team leader responsible); and (3) carrying out implementation tasks (unconditional positive regard for clients; "do no harm"). (SK)

Discusses the implementation of competency-based education and the Developing a Curriculum process (DACUM) in Canada. Provides definitions of the processes and their impact on school administrators, faculty and staff, and students. (JOW)

Summarizes a study examining the high school principal's role in providing the leadership needed to explore and implement Project Re:Learning. The 4-phase study initially included 15 schools and involved questionnaires, interviews, and shadowing. Identifies six types of administrators: the absent administrator, the pawn, the pragmatic principal,…

Presents the design and implementation of a deductive object-oriented database which is built upon a formally defined data model that uses two languages: an imperative programming language called ROCK (Rule Object Computation Kernel), and a logic language called ROLL (Rule Object Logic Language). (LRW)

Discusses training of new admission office personnel, especially in the areas of office orientation, admission fundamentals, computer instruction, and public speaking. Discusses planning and implementation of the training program, notes ongoing challenges to the program, and describes positive aspects of the program as described by trainees and…

Although parent involvement is essential, state education agencies have provided little financial support for staff and programs needed to improve school-family connections. This article discusses elements of good parent involvement programs and describes several successful examples. Advice is given for creating and managing school volunteer…

This response to a previous article suggesting that programs to prevent mental retardation have failed makes a distinction between prevention knowledge and prevention application and between biological and functional mental retardation. It claims that the knowledge to prevent functional mental retardation exists but has not been implemented. A…

Suggests ways in which teachers may plan and incorporate effectively whole-language theory into existing programs in which basal materials are established and accepted. (RS)

Explains cooperative learning and provides a sample implementation of the group investigation model. Suggests that implementation of the group investigation model in a graduate-level reading education course supports the findings of cooperative learning in the literature. Argues that cooperative learning should be a part of teacher education…

Discussion of strategic planning in academic libraries focuses on Bowling Green State University's experience with the strategic planning process. A strategic planning model is explained; the development of goals, objectives, and priorities is discussed; planning for implementation is described; and the review and revision process is discussed.…

After 10 years of operating early childhood programs, an education professor became an elementary school principal while designing a school to serve socially disadvantaged children. Herself disadvantaged by lack of certification and training, Caldwell discovered the fallacy of top-down reform efforts, the chasm between theory development and…

This article suggests techniques for recruitment and involvement of students in local and state Parent Teacher Associations (PTA). The National PTA has authorized the establishment of Parent, Teacher, Student Associations (PTSA). The process for changing from PTA to PTSA is outlined. (IAH)

An analysis of apparent program failure should determine whether the fault lies with the program model, implementation strategy, expectations, or evaluation methods. The evaluation should be planned before completing and carrying out the program design. (SK)

Although the National Association of School Nurses has proposed a ratio of one nurse to 750 regular education students, some nurses are responsible for several thousand students. Good nursing practice in schools is based on five areas of responsibility (assessment, education, planning, implementation, and evaluation) and a multifaceted role for…