This study took an in-depth look at the collaborative work of teachers engaged in curriculum restructuring, and explored how individual teachers' perceptions inform and are informed by such collaboration. The objective of the study was to explore how teachers' individual knowledge, experiences, and curriculum orientations affected their…

Meaningful change is possible only when supported by leadership at the classroom, school, district, and state levels. University of Michigan's Coalition Project was designed to change the motivational culture of a middle school by realigning schoolwide policies and practices with desired changes (emphasis on effort, improvement, and mastery) in…

Findings from a project that utilized student input in the restructuring of school practices are presented in this paper. The 6-month doctoral project was implemented in an urban middle school. Methodology was based on solicitation of student input about classroom practices and data collection of school and departmental issues, which resulted in…

Describes the evolution of the University of Illinois' collaborative Project on High Performance Learning Communities, established in 1989 in response to policymakers' and practitioners' need for a more fully developed, practical knowledge base on educational reform. The university/research partners' role is to synthesize the most current,…

The Urban Mathematics Collaborative (UMC) project has the goal of contributing to the improvement of mathematics education in the inner-city schools by identifying models to enhance the professional lives of teachers and encouraging the entry of high school mathematics teachers into a larger mathematics community including mathematicians from…

The papers in this volume, commissioned by RMC Research Corporation for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, were adapted to reflect the input of participants at a national conference in Washington, DC in June 1992 on middle grades parent and community involvement. Part I reviews the literature in five chapters that focus on the…

Describes a teacher-designed "pocket of excellence" in a small, rural Georgia community. In the Delta Project, teachers began with a commitment to meet students' affective and cognitive needs; proceeded to develop and implement changes in curriculum, instruction, and traditional team organization; and invited a university research team…

This report identifies, describes, and analyzes exemplary elementary and middle school reform efforts for limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in grades 4 through 8 in language arts, science, and mathematics in 20 states; 75 schools were screened originally by telephone to identify those exhibiting excellence in high quality language arts,…

Describes issues experienced by university faculty members during the creation of two university/middle school partnerships. Benefits included a broader community of professional colleagues, opportunities for research collaboration, and firsthand experience with school reform. Tensions included conflicts with the university's reward system, time…

The Wayne State University Public School (UPS), Detroit (Michigan), a university-operated charter middle school, is strongly influenced by the educational reform movement. The evolution of UPS is documented as a case study of educational reform in the 1990s, focusing on the 1994-95 school year. The school is in an urban area marked by poverty and…

The most important part of the teacher education program, the student teaching experience, typically receives the least coordinated conceptualization and collaboration between the key partners: the university and the schools. A clinical site, established in a high school or middle school on the model of a teaching hospital, can address two needs…

A community coalition for middle school reform is a group of individuals who organize to learn more about the education of young adolescents and engage community resources to improve local schools. Each coalition should be geared to the unique needs and strengths of its own school system and community. This booklet describes coalitions in three…

This paper discusses the National Science Foundation Middle School Mathematics and Science Collaborative (MSC) project designed to help schools implement mathematics and science reform. The paper consists of descriptions of these efforts in four schools: (1) "Summer Subversion/Constructivist Conversion" is about the re-tailoring of…

Knowledge of middle grade children and of their particular needs, as well as new teaching methods appropriate for this age level are needed for middle school teachers to be successful. Without the necessary coursework and student teaching experience, preservice teachers often feel unprepared to deal with middle level students. At Ohio State…

This book begins with a short overview describing the four basic strategies in a research and theoretical base. The second chapter focuses on the three components of learning seen as universal to all lessons. These elements, "factual knowledge", "skill development", and "conceptual knowledge", remain in focus throughout the rest of the book. The…