This document contains two studies of California curriculum enhancement projects designed to develop academic partnerships between secondary and postsecondary institutions and improve the academic preparation of students. The first study provides a qualitative evaluation of 20 projects funded by the California Academic Partnership Program (CAPP)…

The paper describes a successful effort at collaboration among a college reading program, a neighborhood self-help agency, and a public school. The three-way partnership was formed to improve the literacy levels of 12 behaviorally disturbed children in the fifth and sixth grades. The project involves whole language reading instruction and…

Nene College (United Kingdom) has developed a residential enrichment program for gifted ten- and eleven-year-olds in Northamptonshire County. The paper outlines the logistics of program implementation, including determining academic and social content and the selection of children and teaching staff. (DB)

Summarizes results of an NASSP-sponsored, 3-year study of the K-12 transition process in 7 demonstration centers representing various types of school districts. Findings showed that middle school transitions were crucial. The most critical elements of this transition process are communication, cooperation, consensus, and commitment of school…

Basic steps in organizing and implementing Fun and Fitness Day are outlined. This event, jointly planned by local schools and Triton College, provided 1800 elementary students with health-related fitness testing and a day of fun and competition. (IAH)

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 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…

The California agenda for middle-grade reform is based on 10 regional networks, each composed of 1 foundation school and approximately 10 partnership schools. Background information on middle-grade reform implementation as of 1988-89 and recommendations for improvement are provided in this interim evaluation, the first in a series of two reports.…

Drama is a way of learning through role playing and problem solving. The dramatic process calls for self-awareness, communication skills, concentration, and group cooperation. A linear drama approach enables teachers to provide drama activities in a comfortable step-by-step sequence. Incorporating drama into content instruction allows students to…

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…

Traditionally, parent involvement in schools has centered around management or organizational concerns; parents are "helping hands" to deal with activities and problems of running the school, providing extra services the school cannot afford. This paper describes ways to involve parents directly in students' academic achievement, asserting that it…

A Colorado school district collaborated with local university personnel to plan, implement, and evaluate a staff development program addressing instructional improvement. The project trained upper elementary and junior high teachers in content area reading instruction and provided follow-up coaching as they implemented the new strategies. (SM)

This book was designed to help school, parent, and community leaders acquire the skills necessary for the successful restructuring of middle-level schools. Chapter 1 defines middle-level education and describes the forces that shaped and continue to shape middle-level education, the evolution of middle-level schools, and current middle-level…

The project described in this article, the Middle Grades Project, is based on a collaborative partnership between a university school of education and three middle grades schools. The project reflects a shift in the conceptual perspective of middle grades schooling. The three-step school improvement plan,…

The East Longmeadow/University of Massachusetts Professional Development School project is a school district/university collaborative for teacher preparation. A goal of the program is to bridge the gap between a university-based school of education and public schools in preparing new teachers. To accomplish this goal the collaborative has…