Recently developed Professional Development School standards underscore the importance of professional learning community, inquiry, shared decision-making and a focus on student learning. These standards closely mirror the goals of "Critical Friends Groups," a significant movement in education to improve student achievement through…

Although communities are making progress in establishing comprehensive systems for serving youth, they still face challenges. Enabling conditions that have allowed innovative youth councils to develop systems of youth development, education, and employment include: (1) youth opportunity grants; (2) established intermediary organizations; (3)…

The international advisory committee of the International Project on Technical and Vocational Education (UNEVOC) held its second session in Paris in December 1994. Nine advisory committee members and observers from the United Nations' specialized, intergovernmental, and nongovernmental organizations reviewed the major UNEVOC project activities…

To better prepare preservice teachers for meeting the challenges of student diversity, many universities have strengthened their partnerships with schools to provide sustained, mentored experiences in classroom settings along with concurrent coursework. For the past 5 years, elementary and secondary special education teacher candidates at the…

The Rural Special Education Program (RSEP), a partnership between Northern Arizona University (NAU) and Kayenta Unified School District (KUSD), provides training for preservice special education teachers to work with Native American students and their families. To date, the program has provided training for 63 preservice special education…

The Saginaw Prekindergarten Program is designed to provide four-year-olds with an environment that will enable them to develop skills needed for future success in school, and to prepare inner city children for entry into kindergarten. The objectives of the program include specific achievements in 16 cognitive skills, psychomotor skills, and…

This final report describes activities of the 3-year Project Lexington Multidisciplinary Training Program for Child Care Personnel at the University of Kentucky. The project goal was to train child care personnel in skills needed to facilitate the integration of children with disabilities into generic child care settings. The project worked with…

This report presents federally mandated evaluations and needs assessments conducted by the Texas Nutrition Education and Training (NET) program during Federal Fiscal Year 1994. General program performance of NET reflected an increase in the number of children in Texas and expansion in NET program activities. Needs assessment data collected from…

This report provides a summary and assessment of the results of the 1993-94 Priorities, Quality, and Productivity (PQP) initiative undertaken by the Illinois State Board of Higher Education and makes recommendations for consideration by the board to set directions for 1994-95. The first section describes state-level PQP activities in 1993-94. The…

The Mt. Hood Tech Prep Demonstration Project provides technical education to students in grades 9-14 plus opportunities to continue into apprenticeship or four-year college programs. The consortium includes seven Oregon local school districts, Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC), and active business and industry partners. An estimated 1,500 students…

The Lethbridge School District Number 51 Project attempted to develop a more effective model for system, school, and program evaluation in the Lethbridge, Alberta (Canada) schools. A literature review suggested that a collaborative model would be effective and would result in empowerment of school-based personnel through active involvement. The…

The Institute for Academic Technology is a university/industry collaboration designed to advance the educational value of affordable technologies. A broad spectrum overview of the program's goals from the point of view of the director, a faculty view of participation, and the industry participant's rationale for program support are presented in…

This report summarizes the available evidence on approaches and strategies of colleges and universities in their efforts to improve minority student access to higher education through school-college partnerships. The analysis distinguishes between partnerships whose efforts are focused on serving students directly and partnerships that promote…

This guide to departmental planning in British secondary school modern language programs offers suggestions for producing effective work and curriculum plans. An introductory section outlines the reasons for departmental planning and discusses briefly the format and content of effective staff meetings. The second section addresses common…

The Columbia-Willamette Skill Builders Consortium was formed in early 1988 in response to a growing awareness of the need for improved workplace literacy training and coordinated service delivery in Northwest Oregon. In June 1990, the consortium received a National Workplace Literacy Program grant to develop and demonstrate such training. The…