Reviews a 1979 report from a Vermont governor's commission proposing future directions for education in Vermont, particularly in regard to teacher training and the educational delivery system. (Author/JM)

This mixed-methods study focuses on school improvement planning in middle schools in east Tennessee. Utilizing the improvement plans of 17 middle schools and surveys that were administered to 493 teachers and 35 administrators, this study found that there was (A) an overemphasis on academic goals, (B) an overreliance on the use of…

This article relates the experience of one state principals' association in influencing the passage of desirable legislation. The legislative network described here has worked for Massachusetts. (Editor)

Would a public library/school media center combination work? What would be the advantages and disadvantages? The author considers the various factors and cites criteria for combinations. (Editor)

Describes the establishment and development of a five-year plan called Project 1992. It was developed by a high school to help adapt to the changing needs in curriculum development that technological changes and their ramifications will require in the future. Outlines the planning, organizing, and writing of the plan. (MD)

Schools seeking to sharpen their academic skills programs should consider defining their academic goals; organizing the school's resources and modifying the schedule, curricula, and instructional techniques to meet the goals; and developing an evaluation program that effectively measures progress toward the goals. (PGD)

Author recommends the use of DPIE (diagnosis-prescription-implementation-evaluation) in learning situations. (GB)

Non-threatening strategies for setting up an alternative school are discussed here. An alternative school is more likely to succeed if certain critical factors are observed, says this principal. (Editor)

A principal of an alternative school lists and elaborates on imperatives for developing an alternative school program. (Editor)

School programs must focus on the future if they are to maintain their viability. Future studies provide an alternative from within the existing system, thus requiring that the first step be to involve the entire staff in planning. Offers an outline for discussion. (Editor/RK)

Defining a vision based on shared values is a crucial step that administrators must consider as they lead their schools through reform efforts. This article reports findings from a national study of creating professional learning communities in schools and how an organizational framework helped to explain vision development in 18 schools.…

The author assesses the contributions to educational planning of the National Assessment of Education Progress. He gives examples of the findings and asks questions as to how they can be utilized by school systems. (Editor) Aspect of National Assessment (NAEP) dealt with in this document: Results (Utilization).

In the late 1980s, a committee of Pasco County, Florida, administrators, teachers, and community members began exploring how schools might change to enable students to graduate successfully and become productive citizens. The committee is now transforming schools through an interactive process of continuous study, design, professional development,…

Schools adopt year-round plans for a host of reasons, writes this author, who feels that today's fuel shortages and other conservation concerns further justify schools operating 12 months of the year. (Editor)

An upstate New York school district approached technology integration by setting up pilot programs using computer clusters in the classrooms of interested teachers. The first wave of teachers evaluated and incorporated third-party software into their regular teaching. A second wave of technology involved multimedia applications. A third wave will…