Similarities and differences between alternative and traditional school programs are assessed through a survey of 11th grade social studies teachers in Long Island, New York. The sample consisted of 11 alternative schools and 24 traditional public high schools containing a representative sampling of upper, middle, and lower-class students. A…

Children in a model preschool designed to develop planning and problem-solving abilities scored higher than children in comparison preschools on measures constructed to assess planning and problem-solving skills. (BB)

Findings are presented which provide information about the extent to which fundamental schools (learning in a highly structured setting with instructional emphasis placed on "basic" subjects) at the elementary and junior high school levels in a large school system in Virginia have achieved their objectives. In this report, four schools…

Ethnographic techniques are employed in this study in order to determine the extent to which curricula developed in magnet schools is distinctly different from curricula in conventional or nonmagnet schools. The variables examined and compared include: (1) subject matter offered; (2) instructional methods; (3) grouping procedures; (4) student and…

This paper continues previous reports of a controlled multivariate evaluation of a junior high school open-education program. A new method of estimating program objectives and implementation is presented, together with the nature and degree of obtained student outcomes. Open-program students were found to approve more highly of their learning…

Four evaluation instruments were used to assess the impact of inservice and preservice training in open education techniques experienced by four teacher groups. The Semantic Differential Scale was used to determine teacher attitudes on the concepts of behavior modification, team teaching approach, parental involvement, self-contained classrooms,…

Findings from this Fordham-sponsored survey--the fourth survey of Dayton, Ohio parent/community attitudes toward education since 1988--present a fascinating array of opinions about today's schools (and those who are responsible for them) and the changes that could be made tomorrow. Over 70 percent of Dayton-area parents support the idea of…

In large urban school districts across the country, shortages of teachers who are qualified for and interested in working in critical content areas are reality. Alternative licensing routes, broadly defined as licensure programs not requiring traditional university teacher preparation work, are increasing in number and a variety of structures.…

The study compared college achievement of Kuwaiti students from two secondary programs; a traditional one resulting in a General Secondary School Certificate (GSSC) and a "Unit Credit System" (UCS) which emphasizes more student independence and responsibility and less rote learning. Under both systems, secondary students specialize in…

This report contains three topic centered studies. Each provides a description of the similarities and differences between four elementary alternative schools: a free school, an open school, a continuous progress school, and a contemporary school. Dimensions of the instructional process provide a comparison of the four instructional programs in…

The Town of Manassas Park officially became a city in 1975. Shortly thereafter the State Board of Education certified the city as a separate school division. The general purpose of this study was to provide the newly appointed school board with data on which to base decisions regarding school facilities. Facility needs are identified and existing…

This cross-cultural study evaluated the effects of nontraditional versus traditional educational approaches in kindergarten on children's preparation for first grade and their readiness to learn. Fifty children in a developmental kindergarten in Pennsylvania, and 50 children in a traditional academic kindergarten in Sichuan province, People's…

Based on Fiedler's Contingency Model of Leadership Effectiveness and Leader-Match program, this study's hypothesis is that experienced school principals increase their effectiveness by changing key organizational variables to suit their personal leadership styles. Following V. D. McNamara's application of Fiedler's contingency model in a study of…

This study attempted to answer two major questions: (1) Does a significant difference exist between the mean gain scores for achievement in reading and mathematics, as measured by the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS), among students from three different architectural school settings (open space, traditional, and mixed); and (2) Do reading…

An attempt was made to determine differences in reading achievement gains and student attitudes towards school between groups of third grade children enrolled in either modified open or traditional classrooms in the same school. The Metropolitan Achievement Test in Reading was used for pre- and posttest comparisons of achievement, and a…