This action research project evaluated a program designed to increase the use of appropriate social skills and improve academic achievement. The targeted population was comprised of first through third graders in four separate communities located in northeast Illinois. Evidence of the problem included teacher observational checklists denoting…

The National Literacy Project was implemented in its first cohort of schools from autumn 1996 to summer 1998. Participating schools introduced a Literacy Hour, based on specific learning objectives, as the main means of literacy teaching. The project was evaluated by the National Foundation for Educational Research, by means of: tests of reading;…

Describes how a small, innovative Australian teacher education faculty introduces its students to a lifelong habit of critical reflection on professional practice. The program hopes to create students with a deeper understanding of what schools are like, constraints against change, and working within schools to facilitate change. (SM)

In this article, the authors describe a graduate course based on a cooperative learning strategy involving structured group interaction. The authors team-taught a semester-long course in which student groups worked on a consulting project requiring interaction between three distinct teams--the student group, a faculty team, and a team of field…

PARENT TALK is a newsletter distributed to approximately 10,000 recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children in Grand Rapids, Michigan, along with their assistance checks. The newsletter is designed to help parents relate to schools in order to facilitate and promote their children's success. Five topics are discussed: (1) what PARENT…

Findings of the evaluation of New York City's Project SAIL, an ungraded primary unit, located at Brooklyn's Public School 41, District 23, and intended for children 5-8 years of age, this report. Teachers reported that they found the first year of the program to be simultaneously exciting and frustrating. Over 80 percent of the teachers involved…

THIS REPORT IS AN EVALUATION OF A SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR DISADVANTAGED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN FOUR OAKLAND SCHOOLS. IN HALF-DAY SESSIONS THE CHILDREN WERE OFFERED READING, MATHEMATICS, AND ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES, FIELD TRIPS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES. THE EVALUATION IS DERIVED FROM THE ATTENDANCE DATA, RESPONSES OF PARENTS, TEACHERS,…

The Bridges SOI Model School Program is an educational service based upon the SOI (Structure of Intellect) Model School curriculum. For the middle seven months of the academic year, all students in the program complete brief daily exercises that develop specific cognitive skills delineated in the SOI model. Additionally, intensive individual…

During 1999/2000, the Saginaw, Michigan public schools implemented a reduced class size program in grades 1 and 2. At grade 1 (23 rooms), reduced-size classes were maintained at no more than 18 pupils; at grade 2 (5 rooms), the limit was 21 pupils. Comparison classes were identified to assess the impact of the program. Students in both conditions…

Discusses how study teams at one Texas elementary school function in helping the individual student, and provides an evaluation of this approach based on three examples: (1) the case study team; (2) the reading study team; and (3) the quality of life team. Lessons learned from this approach are explored. (GR)

Describes the development of an educational community that was created for assisting alienated high school students. The article describes how the teachers and school administration moved through the conception, design, planning, and implementation phases of the study-team process. Concluding comments highlight how the program helped marginalized…

A project determined the impact of the California Literacy Campaign (CLC) on its learners. Researchers used information from two California Adult Learner Progress Evaluation Process (CALPEP) forms: Where We Started (WWS) and a Semiannual Report (SR). The study focused on new adult learners served by the CLC for the first time between July and…

A study determined the impact the California Literacy Campaign (CLC) was having on adult learners based on changes in the California Adult Learner Progress Evaluation Process (CALPEP) learner progress forms. The two California Adult Learner Progress Evaluation Process (CALPEP) forms analyzed were: Where We Started, completed by learner and tutor…

The evaluation of the Developmental Kindergarten (DK) Program at the Harrison School District #2, Colorado Springs, Colorado, involved pre- and post-testing of student academic gains and interviewing of principals and teachers. The program aimed to provide developmentally appropriate activities for students believed to be "at risk" of…

This resource manual for administrators, supervisors, and teachers was developed to foster the effective use of the in-class instructional model in basic skills improvement (BSI) programs in elementary schools. Funded by federal, state, and local sources, BSI programs are designed to be coordinated with school districts' developmental programs to…