In 1980 the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Public Schools recognized needs for significant improvement in staff evaluation, student achievement, individual school effectiveness, and the clarification of systemwide objectives and expectations. The instructional leadership committee appointed to establish a unified approach to effective instruction…

This paper presents a model for turning research findings into prescriptions for practical action. The model contains the following five interactive elements: (1) clear, understandable research knowledge; (2) relevant knowledge, which is seen as meaningful to normal life and concerns; (3) images of actions which exemplify the knowledge; (4) a will…

Dropouts are defined throughout this document (including in its graphic displays) as: early school leavers, expelled, intermittent learners, leftouts, pushouts, stopouts, suspended, and truants. Sufficient research has been done about school dropouts to begin a comprehensive solution. Schools and other institutions must mobilize the knowledge to…

This paper explores the ways in which inner-city students' social, cultural, and political relationships and their thinking and behavior patterns that stem from the range of different situations outside the classroom can shape the classroom roles that they develop with their peers as thinkers and learners of English and writing. It presents a case…

New York City's Special Education School Articulation Program, which fosters informed student and parent choice about available high school program options, is described. Initial program objectives for the 1990-91 school year included hiring of school articulation coordinators and development of specific articulation plans by middle and high…

The High School State Incentive Grant was established to improve the quality of instruction given to New York students with handicaps by providing high school special education teachers with an intensive staff development program designed and implemented at the school, district, and citywide levels. The program consisted of three major components:…

This digest addresses the special needs of gifted urban minority students in the selection of postsecondary career and educational options. Noted is the frequent lack of family encouragement in this population toward higher education and career achievement. Suggestions are offered for teachers, students, counselors, administrators, and parents.…

The evaluation report describes the Student Training at Retail Stores (STARS) Project in New York City. The program's mission was to develop and implement a three-semester program of intense occupational, vocational, and career education to enhance job skills and secure retail sales jobs for high school juniors with mild learning, speech,…

This report presents the evaluation results of the Queens Tri-School Confederation magnet programs in New York City: programs designed to reduce minority-group isolation among high school students in three high schools and simultaneously improve the quality of their education through the sharing of resources and expertise. These programs, which…

High school administrators are concerned about the contribution of student absenteeism to poor academic performance and the likelihood of dropping out. Administrators are faced with the difficult task of deciding which incentives will make regular school attendance more meaningful to students, and which penalties may make truancy and class cutting…

This report evaluates Project Data-Tech, a New York City program that served 125 Haitian- and Spanish-speaking students of limited English proficiency and that was designed to improve the educational attainment of these minority children. Participating students received instruction in English as a second language; native language arts (NLA); the…

This report provides evaluative information regarding the effectiveness of Project Aprendizaje, a New York City program that served 269 Spanish-speaking students of limited English proficiency (LEP). The project promoted parent and community involvement by sponsoring cultural events, such as a large Latin American festival. Students developed…

This report examines the progress in 1992-93 of the Career Awareness Program for Bilingual Haitian and Hispanic Students (Project CAP) in New York City. In the year under review, Project CAP served a total of 292 students with limited English proficiency who were also limited in their ability to read and write in their native language.…

America's economic future depends on the ability of educators to improve minority student retention and preparation. Demographic trends indicate that the economy will be dependent on the contributions of minority workers, who will comprise 60 percent of the labor force. Yet, school statistics indicate that 70 percent of Hispanic students and 28…

This study examined the extent to which students with disabilities or special needs participate in Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO), a Minnesota program which allows 11th and 12th grade students to complete high school credits at a 4-year or 2-year college or a postsecondary vocational training institution. Directors of the PSEO programs at…