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…

This document discusses a reorganization plan by which one large 1,600 student junior high school is being divided into three "schools within a school". The reorganization is taking place with the hope that with three "little schools", each with its own faculty team, a greater focus can be placed on the individual. The document…

The Interstate Project on Dissemination specified four components as critical for a successful state information dissemination system: linkage, information, incentive, and management. An analysis of Pennsylvania's system, using this Project as a referent, uncovered several problems: (1) the linkage component was not functioning; (2) local…

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…

Pennsylvania's Educational Quality Assessment Program (EQA) provides a school building assessment on each of the ten state adopted goals for quality education. Various teacher attitudes and usage of innovative classroom practices with respect to a series of control variables such as sex, educational level, experience, grade level and community…

Seven schools located in and around an impoverished West Philadelphia community are highlighted. While all seven schools are representative of a movement toward the decentralization of authority, the involvement of people in their schools, and the humanization of the educational process, each is innovative in its own way. The authors first discuss…

"Public Libraries as Partners in Youth Development: Lessons and Voices from the Field," published by the Forum in partnership with the Urban Libraries Council, captures key challenges and lessons learned from an innovative, four-year initiative sponsored by the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds that awarded six million dollars to nine…

This pamphlet describes the Distinguished Achievement Awards of The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education which were conceived in 1965 as an annual event to encourage member colleges and universities to describe their successful programs and, in turn, to stimulate other institutions to greater action. Presented in the first half…

This is a collection of reports on innovative practices in student teaching programs. The label "innovative" is justified on the basis of the investigation's scope. Identification of innovative student teaching practices was accomplished by contacting chief state school officers, chairmen and members of state commissions on teacher…

After a brief description of the FLES Latin program in the Philadelphia school district, this article proceeds to list changes in secondary school programs, in general, that will be stimulated by offering Latin at the elementary school level. Mentioned are such consequences as (1) an influx of average and below-average students, (2) the…

The System of Planned Activities in Career Education (SPACE) project was undertaken (1) to create a meaningful, cooperative effort between the area vocational technical school and the sending schools for the purpose of expanding career education to meet the needs of all children and (2) to establish a system to serve as a model for implementing…

Although the level of funding for adult education programs in Pennsylvania was reduced from 1982-83 to 1983-84, progress was made in increasing the availability of adult basic education (ABE) programs throughout the State and in decreasing the overall rate of premature separations of students from ABE programs. Total hours of service to ABE…

These proceedings contain the texts of 20 reports presented at a conference organized to review and assess the status of the following types of performance/competency-based approaches to the professional development of vocational teachers and administrators: performance-based teacher education (PBTE), competency-based teacher education (CBTE),…

This document examines emerging issues and opportunities for community-based organization (CBO) involvement in welfare reform. The document begins with a brief section of background information on past CBO involvement in helping families move from welfare to work. The next section answers policy questions pertaining to the following issues: (1)…

This monograph examines benefits, challenges, and methods of expanding access to adult literacy with online distance education (ODE). The following are among the topics discussed: (1) reasons for considering ODE (new technologies and delivery systems in education; ODE in higher education, business training, and adult basic education; state-level…