In response to the prevailing attitude in American education today demanding higher academic standards and greater student achievement, this article lists 25 programs designed to increase academic excellence while still promoting a positive learning environment within the school. (DCS)

Absenteeism of 130 direct-care staff in a residential facility for developmentally disabled persons was reduced by 27 percent through positive reinforcement for reliable attendance and punishment (progressive discipline) for attendance abuse. Reduced absenteeism was maintained for 12 months and overtime was reduced, but staff turnover increased.…

Experiences in using positive reinforcement while teaching on an Indian reservation are presented for teachers and administrators. Several "positive reinforcers," intended to prevent potential discipline problems from occurring, are described, including student involvement in deciding on classroom rules, election of classroom officers, class…

The paper describes the PROVE School, an alternative high school providing behavioral and academic programming using an extended school day concept for profoundly behavior disordered students in Proviso township, Maywood, Illinois. The extended day concept of crisis intervention (in which students are allowed to leave school for the day only when…

Describes a study that examined the effects of various computer reinforcement responses, including graphics and/or sound, on students' attentiveness to the program. Implications for educational software design are discussed. (CLB)

A method of evaluating bilingual-bicultural education programs that has a sociolinguistic basis uses samples of the language spoken by a number of bilingual program students as they go through their school day. A random sample of the child's speech would be continuously recorded for an hour, with a bilingual observer taking running notes on where…

Discusses the history and development of teaching machines, invented to restore the important features of personalized instruction as public school class size increased. Examines teaching and learning problems over the past 50 years, including motivation, attention, appreciation, discovery, and creativity in relation to programmed instruction.…

Board members and administrators can build public confidence in their schools by taking every opportunity to communicate positive attitudes about the people in the schools. As leaders, they have the responsibility to use people power to promote the schools. If school employees feel good about their jobs, they will build confidence within the…

Discusses the use of coaching to establish a communal learning effort among teachers and reinforce skills introduced through inservice. Issues examined include the length of coaching, who should coach, training coaches, coaching's effects, the relationships of evaluation and supervision to coaching, the principal's role, and implementation. (MCG)

Three male primary students were issued a daily report card rating their disruptive behavior. Parents were asked to praise positive reports and ignore negative reports. Results showed that the intervention was effective in reducing inappropriate behaviors while increasing assignment completion. Ratings by parents, teachers, peers, and subjects…

Research was conducted to determine: (1) what school districts and schools do to encourage teachers to gain proficiency and use microcomputers in their teaching; (2) how teachers' microcomputer-based teaching practices respond to the actions of districts and schools; and (3) which district and school activities have the greatest incentive value…

The emergence of the discourse around learning and teaching is one of the more remarkable phenomena of the last decade in higher education. Increasingly, universities are being required to pay greater attention to improving teaching and enhancing student learning. This book will help universities and colleges achieve these goals through an…

The Michigan Department of Education with assistance from the Educational Testing Service has compiled the results of valid educational research studies on specific topics into a report to be used as a guide for developing effective schools. It is intended for use by practitioners to help bridge the gap between educational researchers and…

This report provides K-12 educators with instructional strategies that research shows have the greatest likelihood of positively affecting student learning. The 12 chapters include: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Identifying Similarities and Differences (comparing, classifying, creating metaphors, and creating analogies); (3)…

This study, involving four staff members in an institution for people with mental retardation, found that a computerized system of prompts to improve staff-client interactions produced more positive statements, improved distribution of interaction among clients, and resulted in delivery of more positive reinforcement than a traditional…