Purpose and Method of Study: The purpose of this mixed-method case study program evaluation was to assess the effectiveness of a middle-level career exploration program to determine whether any program adjustments should be implemented for overall student success. From a population of 152 core classroom teachers, 55 teachers responded to a survey…

The importance of partnerships is critical in educational arenas, but information on how partnerships form with the involvement of corporations, districts, and universities working in harmony is limited in the current literature. The teacher preparation program described in this paper is a "built-to-last" partnership model with over 650…

Multiple initiatives have been launched to try to widen the pipeline for women to enter engineering careers, including reviews of gender differences in enrollment in technology and pre-engineering courses from middle school through doctoral degrees. National agencies have also studied some of the social and cultural forces at play with regard to…

The authors describe the development and implementation of the Career Institute, a program designed to provide opportunities for young adolescents to explore their interests and abilities in relation to their current educational experiences and future college and career goals. They share details about how the school-wide career development program…

Describes the development of an educative community called Project SUCCESS (Schools, Universities, Community, Committed to Excellence in Service and Scholastics), considering the start-up, growth, and mature stage of the project. Discusses the need for educative communities that involve inter-institutional collaboration. (JPB)

Project PATS (Potentially Academically Talented Students) intended for middle school students, is described in terms of development, cooperation among the district and a local Pennsylvania State University campus, and lessons learned about such aspects as the political and economic reality, material dissemination, and resistance of parents and…

In this article, the author describes a collaboration between The Actors' Fund of America and 12 schools in the South Bronx. The true purpose of the STARRR (Substitute Teachers for the Arts and 3Rs) program was to establish relationships between artists and schools. Three years later, the author sees the results of those relationships: so many…

This paper reports on the processes experienced in the development of a language programme in a high school in the western suburbs of Sydney in 2006 and represents the ideas and views of the two key participants. We consider the different perspectives held by the key participants on the project and how these need to be worked through in order to…

Describes a charter school for middle grade students developed and administered by the University of California, San Diego. Notes the increasing interest nationwide of various institutions of higher education in the development of charter schools. How UCSD has met objections such as the possibility of the charter school siphoning off university…

Outlines "Bullybusters," a psychoeducational drama developed by a school's counseling and drama departments. The program depicts the negative consequences of the various forms of bullying, while informing students how they might overcome bullying's adverse effects. Subsequent classroom discussion sessions were successful in getting students to…

The Division of Continuing Education of Bank Street College of Education (BSCE) in New York City is working to change the lives of inner city children, their families, and communities by emphasizing collaboration. During the 1994-95 academic year, the division served more than 3,900 adults and children, 15 agencies, and 30 schools through the…

Details development of "Fridays at the College" program in which middle school students and their teachers participate in enrichment programs lead by college professors. Discusses the evolution, goals, structure, and benefits of the program, as well as the advisory period that focuses on student development. Provides a model of college…

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…

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…