A school system in Cape Town, South Africa, developed a program called the "Combined Magnet Class" to serve gifted pupils from standards (grades) 3-5 in one classroom. Changes to the standard curriculum were made, and a pupil-determined pace was adopted. The pupils studied English, Afrikaans, and mathematics using a syllabus, for…

This book compares small schools in various countries with large ones and offers cost effective strategies for small schools. Part I focuses on social, economic, and educational issues related to small schools. Small schools are beneficial to their communities as centers of social development. In addition, small schools have a more cooperative…

A GRANT FROM THE FORD FOUNDATION WAS USED IN ESTABLISHING THE UPPER MIDWEST SMALL SCHOOLS PROJECT (UMSSP). THIS PROJECT INCLUDED FIFTEEN MEMBER SCHOOLS IN NORTH DAKOTA AND MONTANA. THE ORIGINAL OBJECTIVES WERE--(1) TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL LEADERS IN RURAL EDUCATION, (2) TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AND ADDED MATERIALS TO DEVELOP THIS LEADERSHIP ROLE OF…

This work examines ways central and regional education ministries can influence practices at the school level. Chapter 1, "Changing What Happens in Schools: Central-Level Initiatives to Improve School Practice," reviews common themes, concerns, problems, and emphases. Chapter 2, "Knowledge Utilization and the Process of Policy…

Over half of Finnish elementary schools are small schools employing 1-3 teachers. This paper examines the implementation of new national curriculum policies in two small elementary schools. The new policies, adopted in 1994, stress autonomous control of learning and encourage each individual school, in collaboration with the community, to draw up…

An examination of the issues surrounding the concept of change is fundamental to curriculum improvement for elementary and middle schools. New beliefs surround an integrative rather than a separate subject isolation approach to curriculum. This report examines past, current, and future curriculum practice and considerations, focusing on a new…

THE HISTORY OF SMALL SCHOOLS REVEALS THAT EVEN AFTER MASSIVE REDISTRICTING IN THE 1950'S THERE WERE OVER 5000 SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES WHICH COULD NOT BE REDISTRICTED. MOST OF THESE SCHOOLS WERE FINANCIALLY UNABLE TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO THEIR PROGRAMS, AND AS A RESULT MANY BECAME INVOLVED IN PROJECTS (10 ARE DESCRIBED HERE) WHICH…

School restructuring movements have gained a great deal of national attention. This guidebook addresses the multi-age classroom movement, in which a mixed-age group of children stays with a given teacher for a number of years. The work provides a complete design for the mixed-age primary classroom, from philosophy and rationale to sample lesson…

Studies have criticized age-graded schools as creating a barrier to meeting the goals of equity and instructional excellence in schools. This handbook provides research on multiage classroom practices and argues that a multiage system better addresses and meets students' needs. Information is presented on the following topics: educational reform,…