The English curriculum for grades 10-12 at Kansas High School, a small rural school in Eastern Illinois, consists of mini-courses with an enrollment of 7-20 students. Students must pass the ninth grade English course before they are permitted to register for mini-courses; they are required to take English as sophomores and juniors. During this…

This research report presents the findings of an evaluation of the compensatory education program at El Paso Community College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, which has been in existence for six years. The results of scores made on admission tests were used to determine whether entering students were functioning at the college level. Students with…

The first part of this Linguistics Research and Demonstration Project report presents articles which have greater implications for a theory of instruction in English than for practical activities for classroom utilization. It includes "Changing Emphasis on Formal Language Study,""The Growing Importance of and Emphasis on Oral…

This article describes the structure and operation of three literature seminars offered in the English curriculum at the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities. The seminar approach puts the responsibility on the student and fosters creativity, thinking skills, and problem solving. The seminars include:…

Describes a project involving cooperative learning and learning centers with eighth grade students. Outlines the procedures used and describes the learning centers that were implemented. Discusses how these approaches provide a balance of individual and teacher-directed learning with interactive and activity-based experiences. (MG)

Provides personal narratives of four teachers regarding their work to create more democratic classrooms in urban settings. Explores the issues of authority and democracy in day-to-day teaching in the areas of (1) authority, democracy, and relationships; (2) formations; (3) authority and democracy in the writing workshop; and (4) reformations. (NH)

Teaching at Essex Community College in Maryland has offered several English instructors endless possibilities for program development. Two such public programs developed by one instructor are "The Why of Sports" and the Creative Writing Forum. The former involved six programs and an art exhibit showing the connections between sports and…

This paper describes two prospective English teachers' beliefs and understandings regarding literature and the teaching of literature. Through extensive interviews that included context-specific tasks, the study explored the subjects' prior experiences with literature, their conceptions regarding the nature of literature, and their perceptions of…

Most educational computer software currently available severely restricts the kinds of interaction that can take place between the student and the computer. In fact, an examination of 317 language arts programs listed in a directory of educational software shows that 60% of the programs were of the drill and practice type. In response to this…

An overview is presented of the system of education in Ireland, with special reference to teacher education. Educational requirements for the early grades are briefly covered, and changing patterns in schooling are pointed out. The system of higher education is outlined prior to a more in-depth description of the system of teacher education.…

Ways of implementing a classroom-based staff development Writing Project, based on a model developed at the Teachers College, Columbia University (New York), are described in this guide. The first section deals with beginning the project in a school and covers what the Writing Project is, where it is located, what staff development entails, who…

In the past 5 years, the University of Hawaii (UH) English Department has undergone significant changes in curriculum, staff, and students. Freshman English was formerly taught by lecturers, but is now the shared responsibility of all professors on the English faculty. The maximum class enrollment has been decreased from 25 students to 20.…

A successful elementary school writing center in which students follow their creative stories from dictation through publication is described. Intended as a handbook for schools contemplating a similar program, the pamphlet is divided into three sections which outline the center's history, establishment, and present format. Section 1 charts the…

Nine complete papers and 32 abstracts are contained in this special issue drawn from the proceedings of the fifth annual meeting of writing supervisors within the City University of New York (CUNY). The first complete paper surveys basic writing programs over the decade and points to difficulties overcome, accomplishments,and future needs. The…

The purpose of this program was to provide instruction in the English language with emphasis on oral English to eligible non-English speaking pupils enrolled in Title I non-public schools. The major objective of the program was to enable the pupils to achieve competency and fluency in the use of the English language and to assist them in attaining…