A case study approach can help preservice teachers develop effective strategies for handling situations that arise as they teach diverse students in public schools. This article presents teaching hints for the case study approach, offering a sample scenario for a seventh-grade middle school physical education class. (SM)

When establishing inclusive or whole schooling practices, the attitudes of students towards their peers with differing abilities to themselves is potentially a critical determinant in the success of schools to manage diverse student populations. This research investigates any potential changes in peer attitudes following the inclusion of…

This study is intended as a resource and a tool for those involved in the evaluation, monitoring, or self-review of school management teams. The information presented is based on first-hand experiences of n = 838 elementary and middle school teachers from 55 schools who were directly involved with the implementation and operations of school…

As everyone enters the 21st Century there is a great deal of discussion in business and education circles alike about the type of skills the youth will need to survive and thrive in this century. At the same time, there is little known today about the level of 21st Century skills students currently have. In part this is because, as a nation,…

An 8-month practicum was developed to eliminate the communication gap experienced by parents moving from the multi-communicative atmosphere of the elementary school to the relatively incidental reporting environment of the junior high school. The practicum sought to increase home-school communication through parental awareness and involvement. An…

This presentation reports on the third phase of research associated with the Teacher as Decision Maker Program (TADMP), a graduate-level program for middle/secondary school certification at Indiana University. Seven teacher perspectives have emerged from the study of 86 individuals from the fields of science, English, foreign language, math, and…

The federally funded Magnet Schools Assistance Program was funded to eight magnet schools in the Wake County (North Carolina) Public School System (WCPSS) to reduce minority group isolation and to strengthen academic offerings, by integrating technology into instruction as a key element. In 1993-94 and 1994-95 grant monies were provided to six…

Human resource positions that are becoming known as Technology Coordinator (for district-level personnel) and Technology Resource Teacher (for school-level personnel) have been created to help integrate technology into classroom instruction. This study assessed the progress and effectiveness of Technology Resource Teachers, or TRTs, as technical…

This paper compares the responses of rural educators from northeastern Kentucky to those of a national sample of respondents completing Phi Delta Kappa's survey, "How Teenagers Respond." This survey aimed to determine what common values adults believe adolescents possess. Thirty-five administrators and teachers from middle schools and…

This preliminary case study examined the knowledge and beliefs one seventh grade science teacher to determine: (1) how the teacher's knowledge and beliefs about teaching and learning informed her thinking and actions; (2) what her conception of teaching was; and (3) what were the constraints of the instructional setting. Data was collected from…

This study investigated the relationship between teachers' perceived levels of empowerment in middle level education interdisciplinary teams and departmentally organized programs. Further, it attempted to determine whether significant differences existed in teachers' perceptions of each of six identified subscales of empowerment (decision-making,…

In Louisville (Kentucky), the design and effort that foster educational changes are yielding rewards in three of the district's middle schools, participants in the High Project. The High Project, which began in 1989 with the support of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, attempts to provide high expectations, high content, and high support for…

The nine studies contained in this volume represent efforts to better understand and develop improved programs for middle school students. Research briefs deal with such topics as the attitudes of students, teachers, and principals; middle school characteristics; the degree of middle school program implementation; a guidance program model;…

Under the Intensified Learning Plan (ILP), the school year was organized into trimesters. Students focused on fewer subjects for longer daily periods than usual. Results of tests, questionnaires, and conferences were used to measure the accomplishment of criterion objectives. The majority of parents, students, and teachers prefered the ILP, with…

What are the thoughts of exemplary teachers from high poverty schools on linguistic diversity and cultural responsiveness? What do inner-city children say about their best teachers? In focus groups, faculty and students from high poverty schools were asked about the qualities and characteristics of exemplary urban teachers. One focus group…