A yearlong senior experience course requires teams of business students to solve real problems for organizations in the community. Students enhanced responsibility, confidence, and organizational skills. Problems centered on differentiating the course from internships and improving staffing. Students had problems with group dynamics, team…

Highlights excellent practices and precautions regarding teacher learning communities gleaned from research on diverse collegial efforts during difficult reform processes, noting that simply placing teachers in teams does not necessarily generate collegiality. The paper examines the content of professional discourse, sociocultural resources in the…

This paper explores the value of collaborative research models in counselor training research. The focus is on a model that encourages interinstitutional collaborative research efforts, in which colleagues are brought together without a detailed purpose to generate and share research ideas. Several fundamental components of an effective…

This document is designed to help administrators and faculties understand how the many complicated pieces of a high-performing school fit together. Trying to implement all the pieces at once may not be a solid plan for accomplishing a vision of quality. Taking steps to determine what is most critical for students is the logical starting place. The…

Notes the problems involved in traditional efforts to induct graduate students into the research process. A collaborative apprenticeship method that can be incorporated into programmatic research with benefits for both students and mentors is presented. (Author)

Research indicates that middle schools are very successful at meeting the needs and developmental characteristics of young adolescents. Middle schools use a team approach, providing stability and continuity as teachers integrate subject areas into broader themes and units. Parental involvement is encouraged at the middle school level. (SM)

The purpose of this paper is to identify some critical dimensions in specifying a model of group performance. In the first section, the boundaries of the paper, e.g., work groups that produce some identifiable good or service, are discussed. In the second section some models of group performance are explored in order to illustrate theories of…

Parents and professionals are increasingly working together to serve handicapped children; however this partnership is often marred by conflict. Most explanations for the conflict emphasize the psychological and attitudinal characteristics of individuals. Although this explanation has some validity, it precludes identification of the more basic…

One principal's solution to low staff morale illustrates guidelines for improving teacher committee productivity through teamwork and shared leadership. (MJL)

This paper discusses the emerging national issues surrounding supervision of paraeducators in the classroom and provides initial guidance on practical ways to supervise effectively. It begins by describing the current situation in the U.S., focusing on two important issues: the training of teachers as supervisors and training for paraeducators.…

This article summarizes the School Management Model discussed in the author's book, "Improving School Performance." Effective communication, staff evaluation, and performance information are presented as keys to building teamwork and upgrading performance. Teacher merit pay is analyzed in light of the model. (MJL)

Explores the levels of collaboration required for successful distance education applications. Discussion includes a description of a continuum outlining the local (micro) to international (macro) levels of collaboration, a graphical depiction of components along the continuum, and implications for change in higher education institutions using…

This paper summarizes research in which the public health models of epidemiological assessment and primary prevention were used to (1) determine the prevalence of ethnic social segregation among school children in Toronto, Canada; and (2) alter ethnically segregated friendship patterns in Toronto schools. A preliminary study of children aged 12 to…

Discusses the use of students as peer advisors in college career counseling programs. Topics covered are (1) staff commitment and organizational support, (2) responsibility and decision sharing, (3) recruiting, (4) selection, (5) training, (6) supervision, (7) developing teamwork, and (8) integration into other campus programs and activities. (CH)

Case studies are presented of three gifted students, indicating the social and academic problems which are standing in the way of their potential development. The students include a Vietnamese-American ninth-grade girl who has difficulty with English and does not feel accepted by other students, an underachieving seventh grade boy who speaks out…