This paper discusses the history, format, implementation, and effectiveness of Student Congress, a legislative session where students debate state, national, or international issues. The first part of the paper discusses the history of the Student Congress in the United States, noting that as it has grown as a national event, its importance as a…

Although it is generally argued that information technology (IT) is a science rather than an art, very few professionals follow a process of systematic evaluation and revision, usually due to the level of difficulty and time constraints involved. The intent of this document is to provide a framework for evaluation and revision of instructional…

A common theme in educational change literature is that principals do not truly understand the change process and therefore cannot successfully implement change. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the change processes that Colorado principals utilized when initiating and implementing change in their buildings. The study also…

The National Center for the Accelerated Schools Project at Stanford University has recognized that district-level change is necessary if changes at accelerated schools are to gain permanence and become widespread. The Center has therefore initiated a research and development project to design a set of models on which districts can reconstitute…

During 1973-75, the Rand Corporation conducted a study of federally funded change agent programs to determine the factors for successful change in the schools at the local, state, and federal levels. The programs included the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Title III, Innovation Projects; ESEA Title VII, Bilingual Projects;…

This document provides summaries of conference papers and discussions at a workshop focused on improving the quality of literacy education in developing countries. The workshop was attended by 20 project leaders and observers from 11 countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, India, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and…

New approaches to education are being advocated and implemented throughout the Pacific region. This is the first of a series of papers on the broad phase of educational change: initiation, implementation, and institutionalization and renewal. It seeks to provide Pacific educators with updated information about the change process, with a focus on…

The North Carolina 4-H CareerSmarts Program is designed to unite the public and private sectors to provide career education for young people. This packet contains three handbooks (for agents, proteges, and mentors) that explain the program and outline practical ways to conduct it. CareerSmarts consists of three phases. Phase one is conducted…

This document was written for prevention specialists who plan or implement integrated services in their communities or school districts. Chapter 1 explains why integrated, school-linked services are needed. Chapter 2 outlines the elements of successful integrated services and barriers to implementation. The third chapter describes three…

Against a backdrop of increasing localization of responsibilities for human services and community development, and in a climate of diminished resources for these activities, foundations have explored the comprehensive community initiative (CCI) as a strategy to direct support toward improved well-being for children and families. This discussion…

Ways in which program innovators, policy developers, and educational researchers think about and engage in disseminating innovations to schools can prove a major barrier to reform. A process for effective dissemination using the coaching model in the accelerated schools program is described here. Accelerated schools draw on three principles: unity…

Strategies to enhance prosecution of gang-related crimes are presented, with a focus on enforcement and prosecution targeting urban street gangs. The model programs introduced offer strategies largely based on the practical experiences of agencies that participated in a demonstration program, the Urban Street Gang Drug Trafficking Enforcement…

This report summarizes the history of AskLN (Ask the Learning Network), a project funded by AT&T. It outlines valuable insights and information gained as a result of a successful 22 month run under the coordination of the Information Institute of Syracuse at Syracuse University (New York). In the spring of 1996, the Director of the AT&T…

This booklet presents the youth development approach to supporting adolescents in dealing with all the issues they face, including preventing unintended pregnancies. The Department of Health and Human Services promotes five principles that research and experience suggest are key to community efforts to prevent teen pregnancy: (1) parental and…

A private, nonprofit corporation, New American Schools (NAS) funds the development of designs aimed at transforming entire schools at the elementary and secondary levels. This report describes a large number of NAS sites in their early implementation stages. The report is the first in a series that monitors a longitudinal sample of schools…