Findings of a study that examined the role of the state education agency (SEA) in implementing innovative projects within school districts are presented in this paper. The following federal programs were investigated: (1) the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title III, Innovative Projects; (2) ESEA Title VII, Bilingual Projects; (3)…

This handbook examines practices and issues involved in the implementation of multiage programs. Data were collected through site visits at four schools with reputations for excellent multiage programs; interviews with a representative sample of parents and teachers at each school; document analysis; a survey of multiage teachers, parents, and…

This report examines the issues, needs, and strategies related to professional development in small, rural schools in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Information was gathered by a survey, a series of rural education forums, and case study interviews. Respondents of the survey and participants of forums were legislators, practitioners,…

This volume describes the experiences of each of the 15 rural and urban Healthy Start initiatives. These projects were set up in areas that had infant mortality rates that were 1.5 to 2.5 times the national average. Project locations include major cities such as Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; and Oakland, California, and rural areas in…

This report of qualitative findings, gathered from four sources, presents guidelines to promote implementation of whole language. The report uses Donald Ely's (1990) conditions for change as a framework. These conditions are: dissatisfaction with the status quo, the existence of knowledge and skills, availability of time and resources,…

In 1981, the Norwegian parliament established an Ombudsman for Children to promote children's interests. This book describes the ombudsman's efforts to serve children, both in the past and the present, in 6 chapters. In Chapter One, a brief history of changes in families, children and society in Norway in the twentieth century is followed by…

This evaluation report describes the instructional support services provided by the Gifted and Talented (G/T) Education Program of the Des Moines (Iowa) Independent Community School District. The report evaluates the program's context, input, process, and product and considers future planning. The state-mandated program provides services through…

Experiences gained by the Documentation Center of the German Foundation for International Development have been used to develop this manual on the establishment of information and documentation centers. Guidelines are set forth for the orientation phase of the operation, beginning with a market analysis and consultation with experts in the field.…

Many communities have replaced top-down, highly centralized educational structures with a decentralized model in which decisions are made at the school level. This concept relies on broad participation and support from the school personnel and the community. However, the effort to decentralize schools often faces opposition. This problem can be…

This booklet describes one of the earliest staff development models to support school-based improvement, the RPTIM model. The letters "RPTIM" represent the five stages of the school-based approach to staff development--readiness, planning, training, implementation, and maintenance. The model is based on the belief that the school is the primary…

This information packet is designed to assist local interagency councils to implement Public Law 99-457's requirements concerning the provision of high quality services to preschool children with disabilities and their families. The model described provides a framework for continual coordination of agency programs as well as use of collaboration…

This guide for individuals or groups charged with designing and implementing a planning process for a college or university begins by describing certain characteristics and components of planning that the planner must understand and by recommending that new planners avoid some actions until they have analyzed the situation and determined what…

During the 1991-1992 school year, a case study of leadership was conducted at Hollibrook Elementary School (Spring Branch, Texas). Five themes were identified that reflected the schoolwide norms for interaction--collective strength, trust/responsibility/accountability, community of learning, risk taking, and self-fulfillment. This paper presents…

To explicate the factors behind standards implementation, the results of a project to develop and pilot test a process that bridges the gap between setting standards and improving student achievement is presented. The text focuses on the Implementing Academic Standards (IAS) program, which was designed to develop and pilot-test a process for…

This publication focuses on the major issues and requirements that schools need to consider in developing an effective schoolwide assessment program. It is the first in a series on assessment by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. The primary purpose in developing an effective schoolwide assessment program must be to improve…