This manual is a practical guide based on school experiences and legal requirements in Massachusetts. It is intended to help alternative schools get off the ground and to stay out of trouble with State and local authorities. Some brief sketches of four alternative schools are presented to indicate alternatives that already exist. Sections…

In their 2004 State of the State speeches, the nation's governors cited many issues competing for their attention and their states' resources, including health care, education, crime, and security (Nodine 2004). Among the most compelling challenges were those related to economic development and the ability of a state's workforce to meet the needs…

Identifies and discusses different ways in which teachers using constructivist and other approaches might teach a lesson on the Lexington Green incident of April 1775. In that incident British soldiers opened fire on colonial farmers, killing eight of them. Includes excerpts from eyewitness documents and other background material. (MJP)

This report examines the efficacy of the Boston Pilot Schools, a model of urban schools created in 1994 to promote innovation and increased choice options within the Boston Public Schools (BPS). Unlike most urban public schools, the Boston Pilot Schools have control over budget, staffing, curriculum, governance, and time, all critical conditions…

An evaluation (involving questionnaires, telephone interviews, focus groups, site visits, e-mail questions, and lab observation) assessed the success in implementing a statewide technology plan for adult literacy programs in Massachusetts that grew out of a set of recommendations developed by the Massachusetts Adult Literacy Technology Team…

PRESENT PROCEDURES AND INNOVATIONS RESULTING FROM TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES WERE EXAMINED IN TWO REPRESENTATIVE SCHOOL SYSTEMS TO HELP OTHER SCHOOLS, BOARDS, AND FACULTIES FACING COMPARABLE PROBLEMS. THE STUDY FOCUSED ON MANPOWER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY, THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF OF THE SCHOOLS, THE RECEPTIVITY…

Twenty-four local projects which are intended to serve as sources of ideas for professional group action are described in this pamphlet. The projects are reported within the framework of four areas of improving teaching. Under "professional development" projects are portrayed concerning the use of student tutors and the improvement of…

This document examines microenterprise development as an employment option for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients. The document begins with a brief discussion of the feasibility of self-employment as an option for TANF recipients, particularly in a slow economy. The next section answers policy questions pertaining to the…

New software tools for data analysis provide rich opportunities for representing and understanding data. However, little research has been done on how learners use these tools to think about data, nor how that affects teaching. This paper describes several ways that learners use new software tools to deal with variability in analyzing data,…

This executive summary provides an overview of activities and a listing of the recommendations and strategies developed by participants at a conference on vocational/technical education. These four major themes are highlighted: the need to improve the image of vocational education through better communication with the public and special interest…

The eight schools profiled in this document are serving different populations, but all of them are closing the achievement gap between low-income, minority, and special needs students and their peers. By trying out innovative new strategies, these schools are blazing a trail for others to follow. They are dispelling the myth that some students can…

This booklet highlights the efforts of four hospitality employers and one "intermediary" organization connecting workplace experiences to classroom learning for secondary school students. The introduction presents a series overview and lists the names, locations, and featured practice of the employers and organizations. The next sections…