Proposes an alternative to strategic and other school-improvement planning: collaborative intervention process (CPI) for initiating schoolwide change. The five-phase process includes planning, assessing, executing, implementing, and evaluating. CPI strategy, which stresses broader stakeholder involvement and frequent intercommunications, should be…

A Maryland middle school helps students navigate passage to high school with 10 crossings: parent engagement, mentoring transitional opportunities program, a middle-school exit form, a special assembly, a closing ceremony, a unification process, departmental articulation, a roundtable involving middle- and high-school principals, and a high-school…

Presents a discussion paper reflecting on the National Literacy Strategy (NLS) after one year of operation. Argues that once the NLS becomes established it will be necessary for all teachers to engage with the research literature so that they teach from a position of professional understanding of the processes involved in reading and writing…

Describes activities associated with Teen Read Week in October, 1999 in which young adult author Adam Rapp was the first Author-in-Residence at Ridgewood High School, near Chicago, Illinois. Notes students in the English Skills class (for students who need extra help) seemed genuinely interested in the book and the author. Describes how funding…

A survey of 68 schools shows that half of all volunteers have college degrees; most support classroom and tutoring activities. Volunteers are beneficial, despite costs associated with program administration, recruitment, interviewing, screening, orientation, training, performance assessment, motivation, recognition, record keeping, reporting,…

Examines the conceptual underpinnings of charter schools, their appeal to reformers, and the resistance to their implementation. The charter-school movement seems promising but will probably founder, due to inadequate financial support, special interest groups' lobbying efforts, and lack of an entrepreneurial spirit among educators. (11…

Presents a vision of how the agency-based GILS (Government Information Locator Service) will be implemented to help the public locate and access information throughout the Federal Government. Topics include policy context, the user perspective, data and information, the provider perspective, design principles, functional requirements, and GILS…

Inclusion-oriented schools should define their philosophy, form a committee, develop a written plan, provide early staff development, review children's individual needs, develop program modifications, and prepare parents and students. During the second year, schools should implement a pilot program, provide ongoing staff development, and evaluate…

State mandates in Kentucky, Oregon, Mississippi, and Tennessee have raised questions concerning multiage grouping's viability. Some educators are implementing multiage classrooms and schools with insufficient forethought, planning, and stakeholder participation. A recent study underlines the importance of teacher readiness, parental involvement,…

Stresses the importance of outdoor ethics education and describes educational strategies such as public awareness campaigns, codes of ethics, dilemma discussions, role plays and simulations, "trigger" films, guided ethics observations, recognizing and rewarding ethical behavior, using role models, guiding students in developing personal…

Compares achievement of students attending a large Florida high school under a traditional schedule during 1993-94 and a trimester block schedule during the following year. Passing grades have gone up 3.7%. Regarding Scholastic Aptitude Test and American College Testing results, there was no significant difference. Teachers, students, parents, and…

The reading workshop is not based on ability groups, but provides a venue to focus on each student's strengths and needs. Components include a teacher-sharing time, focus lesson, state-of-the-class conference, self-selected reading and responding time, and student-sharing time. (MLH)

An interactive transition plan is a document that a student with disabilities makes with the assistance of friends, family members, or school personnel. This plan helps the student communicate relevant information to the general-education teacher. Sharing plans with receiving teachers can be rewarding and insightful. (MLH)

Discusses ways to keep established teaching assistant (TA) training programs vital using a case study of the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Davis. Identifies seven key elements in the maturation and subsequent revitalization of the TA training program, including leadership, teaching attitude, financial resources, modest…

Multirater or 360-degree feedback is a sampling technique that can be used at three levels: for developmental purposes, appraisal, and compensation. It was designed to be small-scale, personalized, and occasional. Implementation tips and pitfalls for districts are described. (MLH)