It is possible for at-risk students to perform at demanding academic levels, and their achievement can be improved dramatically in a relatively short time. Effective ways to teach at-risk children have already been identified; no new research is needed. This report covers the following specific issues related to educating high-risk students. It…

To aid policy development for the utilization of computers in education, a panel of 10 scientists and educators formed a traveling seminar that actually inspected the state of the art of computer-assisted instruction at seven research and development centers throughout the U.S. The panel agreed on four principles. First, a systematic approach to…

In June of 1971 there were many fragmented efforts attempting to deal with the problems of ecology and ekistics and the kinds of material which should be included in the curricula of the public schools and in the training and retraining of public school teachers. The purposes of this study were to: (a) design a system which would encourage…

This paper, after discussing the inadequacies of present-day teacher education, proposes an alternative model which places first priority on the actual training of teachers, as well as administrators, for the public schools. The model emphasizes the realities of life in urban and nonurban America in the seventies, making the following assumptions:…

The student population of urban schools reflects widely diverse socioeconomic, linguistic, and ethnic backgrounds, yet few teacher training programs are currently addressing the need to recruit and train teachers reflecting this diversity. The Seattle Public Schools/Western Washington University (SPS/WWU) post-baccalaureate paraprofessional…

This report presents the results of a survey of the 45 member districts of the Council of the Great City Schools on the following: (1) data, studies, or projections on teacher and administrator needs; and (2) descriptions of successful programs, projects, and activities aimed at attracting, keeping, and training teachers and administrators. A…

The purpose of this study is threefold: to recount the history of the Anacostia Community School Project (later renamed the Response to Educational Needs Project) in Washington, D.C. between 1967 and 1978; to analyze the events of the period in light of theories of historiographic and social scientific developments; and to provide lessons from the…

With 90% of about 4.7 million Mexican Americans living in the 5 Southwest States and 80% of these living in an urban environment, Mexican American students face several educational problems in the urban setting, including high dropout rate, low educational achievement, and ineffective institutions. Schools fail to recognize the cultural richness…

Sixteen papers, developed as part of a 10-year study of substantive and methodological aspects of teacher education in special education at the University of South Florida, address professional issues in special education. The papers are: (1) "To Improve or Reconstruct Special Education: Issues Facing the Field" (James L. Paul and Ann…

African-American parents whose children attended 12 different Baltimore City Public Schools (Maryland) made it clear while participating in a focus group that white teachers have a lot to learn about teaching their children. Forty-three parents whose children were involved in an enrichment program at an urban community college emphasized that they…

The urban teacher recruitment challenge documented in this report is the harbinger of potentially more serious nationwide shortages to come. The need for teachers of color in America's schools has already reached critical proportions. Data in this report were collected as part of a broad-based commitment to improved teacher recruitment and…

This study compared the knowledge and skill levels of urban and rural special education teachers across 13 emotional and behavior disordered (EBD) competency areas. Fifty-eight graduate students enrolled in special education courses at California State University at Fresno completed the Emotionally and Behaviorally Disordered Teacher Competencies…

A study was done to investigate the organization of teaching and learning activities experienced in teacher preparation courses in an urban university. A survey instrument developed for the study was administered to 254 trainees in 20 regular and special education courses. The graduate teacher education courses were stratified by educational…

NOTING THAT THE CHILD OF LIMITED BACKGROUND HAS CONSIDERABLE NATIVE ABILITY BUT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH HIS POTENTIAL DUE THE KIND OF TEACHING AND CURRICULUM OFFERED IN THE TYPICAL PUBLIC SCHOOL, THE DETROIT PROJECT HAS ATTEMPTED TO COMPENSATE FOR THE DIFFICULTIES RESULTING FROM DEPRIVATION. DIRECT EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE TOWARD INSERVICE…

A recent study of 30 urban teachers showed that they were not only unable to give a precise description of their students' speech, but had no idea of how to go about making a description. Their ideas on vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation were formed by popular folk-lore rather than linguistic knowledge. Current teacher training programs are…