What are the effects of block scheduling? Results of transitioning from traditional to block scheduling are mixed. Some studies indicate no change in achievement results, nor change in teachers' opinions about instructional strategies. Other studies show that block scheduling doesn't work well for Advanced Placement or Music courses, that "hard to…

This qualitative study of school nurses describes what the nurses want to do for school children in foster care, what they are actually doing, and how the school organization affects the provision of care. The study looked at the nurses' practice through the lens of the Social Ecological Model of Health, identified interventions using the…

This article agues that ideological power plays an important role in education and that it is part of a general trend in policy and social sciences to underestimate ideological and overestimate the role of political and economic power. The article sketches a concept of power in general and especially of ideological power based primarily on the…

Invitational education is a general framework for thinking and acting about what is believed to be worthwhile in schools. It centers on five basic principles: (1) people are able, valuable, and responsible, and should be treated accordingly; (2) educating should be a collaborative, cooperative activity; (3) the process is the product in the…

In response to standardized test scores that did not accurately reflect student learning, Franklin Lower Elementary School in Meadville, Mississippi, began a process of restructuring to become a developmentally appropriate school by using hands-on materials, focusing on whole language, and emphasizing the development of thinking skills. To…

Emphasizing outcome-oriented planning and management, innovation, and flexibility, this document discusses the renewal needed in Missouri public education in the 1990s and offers suggestions for educational change. Four major recommendations are presented that include creating a performance-oriented system; increasing prevention efforts; providing…

This paper applies the concept of educational partnership to the problem of drug use among students. The present structure of public education in the United States is critiqued, and a new structure based on shared responsibility of home, school, and community, and on the voice, educational choice, and loyalty of participants, is proposed. The…

In 1976, the State Board of Education of South Carolina approved a final, revised definition of the minimum educational program that school districts could offer. The Defined Minimum Program for South Carolina School Districts became effective on July 1, 1977. This document presents the current version of that definition, including revisions made…

This paper reports the results of research examining the long-term success of Sweden's educational reforms. The paper's first section describes the Swedish educational system's structure, noting the roles played by the national government, local governments, and the National Board of Education. The second section of the paper looks at Sweden's…

Although the existence of small Catholic elementary schools (enrollment: 300 or less) is precarious, these institutions enable students to succeed academically beyond national norms, due to the special learning environment that they provide. The recent Small Schools Survey of Catholic elementary schools indicated that classes in small Catholic…

Beginning with a review of the increasing literature concerning job-related teacher stress, this study examines the particular stress and burnout experiences of school teachers in Venezuela since the incorporation by law in 1980 of "Educacion Basica" (basic education) as a new level of the school system (grades 1-9). To compare teachers…

The month-long teacher strike in 1987 was the impetus for a wave of reform efforts directed toward the Chicago, Illinois, school system. State legislation of far-reaching reforms, the governor's vetoes, and a subsequent reconvening of the legislature resulted in a restructuring and decentralization of the school system. Many of the reforms are…

The characteristics of the talent pool that will be available to the teaching profession is largely controlled by institutions and agencies that either have only a passing interest in the education of teachers (major universities) or by those that have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo (schools of education that are dependent on…

A position paper on higher education in Massachusetts in the 1980's which was prepared by the Alden Seminar for Higher Education, is presented. In addition, an overview of the November 1981 Alden Seminar meeting, opening statements, and reports of small groups are included. The Alden Seminar discussions on higher education, especially in regard to…

A guide to assist colleges undertaking self-studies to meet accreditation requirements is presented by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The guide may also be used by the Commission's consultant-evaluators. After outlining the purposes and principles underlying…