Describes the implementation of an English Language Center in Esteli, Nicaragua in 1993 and identifies social, cultural, and political complexities involved. Qualified teachers were recruited during the planning phase, and after two months of operation, over 200 students were enrolled. Students paid for classes that were marketed only to those who…

Character education's goal is to help young people know, care about, and act on core ethical values such as fairness, honesty, kindness, respect for others, and responsibility. In this interview, a high school principal in Memphis, Tennessee, explains how staff implemented a separate character-education course. (MLH)

Historical memory is part of an organization's culture and should not be forgotten. Stories acquire more power and persuasion each time an initiative is imposed without attention to how people think and feel about it. The Historygram process provides a collective forum for reviewing an organization's past. (MLH)

A description of web-based nursing education at the University of Southern Indiana is used to frame a discussion of changes distance education causes in the teacher role (instructional design, interaction, time and technology management, outcome evaluation) and student role (time and technology management, interaction, self-direction). (SK)

In "This We Believe," a National Middle School Association position paper revised in 1995, 12 beliefs were identified that would "clarify a vision that will guide the decisions of those responsible for determining young adolescent educational programs." Middle schools across the country have used these beliefs as guidelines.…

A study of 270 sophomores taught in either a block scheduling or traditional scheduling format showed significant results for English and biology. Block schedules significantly predicted pretest to posttest differences in Educational Testing Service subject scores over and above those of students following traditional schedules. (Contains 16…

Investigates the application of a relevance ranking technique, cover density ranking that is based on term proximity and cooccurrence for information retrieval on the World Wide Web that augments coordination ranking when one to three search terms are used. Compares cover density ranking with standard ranking methods and discusses implementation…

Discusses implementation at Conestoga Elementary School in Gillette, Wyoming, of an electronic portfolio system to store both two-dimensional information, such as writing and drawing, and full-motion video sequences for each student. Notes that teachers, parents, and students can access the portfolios, which reside on rewritable optical disks; and…

Considers aspects of managing change as illustrated in 25 British secondary schools that have implemented antibullying policies for pupils. Despite staff ownership, problems arising from the subjectivity of policy interpretation and contextual pressures are likely to affect outcomes. Analysis of questionnaire and report data shows that policy…

Presents the three phases of the implementation and operation of the Integrated Information Center (IIC) at the University of Minnesota from 1990-93. Competition between the IIC and information centers at the two schools the IIC was intended to serve--the School of Management and the Institute of Public Affairs--is addressed. (JAK)

Evaluated a critical-thinking skills-training program for inservice training of classroom teachers in Georgia using responses from 700 questionnaires. Modeling of the strategy being taught, knowledge and enthusiasm of the trainers, and material relevance contributed to the high quality of training. More follow-up to the training would be extremely…

Conversation Rebuilding (CR) help students formulate acceptable utterances in a foreign language by starting with rough approximations, using words students know, and zeroing in on utterances a native speaker might produce. This article examines how this technique can be implemented in intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) and describes a prototype…

There has been little litigation since the Family Medical Leave Act's inception in 1993. This article highlights FMLA's scope of coverage, leave requirements, notice and verification, special rules for employees and local education agencies, employment and leave entitlements, and enforcement. Employers violating the FMLA may have to reinstate and…

The "clearness committee," a Quaker practice, might provide an avenue for educators grappling with crises and seeking clarity about their worries and concerns over time. A Lewis and Clark College seminar held in April 1998 dealt with an administrator's fears about carrying on following a former student's suicide. Steps for freeing one's…

Discusses lessons learned in the implementation of James Comer's School Development Program including: (1) leadership; (2) overcoming resistance to change; (3) time required for change; (4) creating a supportive climate; (5) staff commitment and staff time; (6) personnel and staff training; (7) parent involvement; (8) connecting school and…