This volume focuses on four North Carolina school systems that have developed strategies for improving teaching and learning environments in arts education. Article 1 discusses the challenge of providing adequate levels of visual arts instruction for exceptional children in Dare County and describes a specific art project for handicapped students…

A self-study of the Otto Elementary School in Otto, North Carolina, began in 1960 and was completed in 1963. The study was implemented to provide faculty and staff with an opportunity to evaluate school practices, identify areas needing improvement, and project future plans for improvement. One general goal, providing quality education for all…

An evaluation design created to provide information for a multiple-project program of educational experimentation is presented. Project SEED (State Experimentation in Educational Development) became an official education effort in North Carolina on July 1, 1971. Model for the program was that of the State's ESEA Title III program with certain…

Described is a series of two-day Elementary Science Awareness Conferences, funded by the National Science Foundation for science supervisors and general elementary supervisors in North Carolina. The goals for these conferences are discussed. (Author/DS)

Curiosity about artifacts found on school grounds led to a year-long historical and archaeological research project for fifth-graders in Isaac Dickson Elementary School (Asheville, North Carolina). Student research and interviews focused on Stumptown, a Black community formerly located on the school site. The project demonstrated the 11 Foxfire…

Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society. Tobacco use is responsible for nearly one in five deaths in the United States and the cause of premature death of approximately 2 million individuals in developed countries. Smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths and is a major cause of heart disease, cerebrovascular…

The authors interviewed 27 teachers (16 African American and 11 European American) on instructional factors contributing to overidentification of behavior problems in African American boys. Interviews focused on teachers' perspectives of effective teachers, teacher-student relationships, and communication styles. Analysis of the interviews showed…

Presented in the form of 29 questions and answers is information on North Carolina's public school program for gifted and talented children at elementary and secondary levels. Discussed are the criteria for student eligibility, typical characteristics of gifted children, both acceleration and enrichment programs, special class curriculum, and…

The reason that the school dropout crisis is now referred to as a "silent epidemic" is because, when we weren't paying attention, the graduation rate in our country slipped to a level that threatens the very health and well-being of our society. Each year, almost one-third of all public high school students--and nearly one-half of all…

This document is the result of an extensive effort to design an assessment program in communication skills and mathematics for first and second graders. It contains resource materials and instruments that school systems can use in their assessment programs. The resource materials include strategies for teachers to use in evaluating student…

This report is one of eight concerning third-grade students to be issued in connection with the North Carolina statewide assessment project. The assessment of mathematics achievement is based on a sample of 5,000 third-grade students, 2,500 using the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), and 2,500 using state developed objective-based tests (SCORE).…

In 6 follow-up studies, hypotheses and questions regarding the effects of the Durham Education Improvement Program (EIP) were investigated. Grades of graduates were examined by analysis of variance and Wilcoxon matched-pair signed-ranks tests. I. Q. distributions at exit were fitted to the test norms. Tentative measures of hypothesized…

Teachers and administrators often note that preservice programs do not prepare future teachers adequately to teach reading. Several Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states have addressed this problem. In 1997, the Georgia Professional Standards Review Commission began examining reading certification requirements and found that most teacher…

This study examined 376 African American adolescents' perceptions about the presence of guns in school and responses associated with the perceptions. One-quarter believed that other students brought guns to school. Those perceptions related positively to their experiences of fear at school and behaviors of school avoidance and bringing weapons for…

Examined whether participating in the North Carolina Quality Enhancement Initiative improved the quality of 26 participating school-age child care programs. Found a significant increase in the quality of child care environments and teacher-child interaction over the 9-month period. State license and smaller group size related to higher quality…