Profiles a 16-week learning unit that led students to develop literacy in their native Spanish, as well as academic and computing skills. The reading and writing assignments incorporated grammar, geography, and local and family histories to create a sense of pride in the students' community and culture. (MJP)

Discusses the reactions to two empowering styles of teaching introduced into a newly developed interdisciplinary unit in geography and environmental sciences. Peer assessment was embraced more thoroughly than group work which was eventually accepted with some reservations. Includes charts illustrating student reactions to both innovations. (MJP)

Describes instructional strategies using primary sources in middle school history instruction. Maintains that students need to make critical, personal connections to material before they understand it. The strategies examined use visual aids, living history presentations, realia, music, and primary documents. (MJP)

Describes success of an academic booster club as a rural middle school strategy to improve student test scores, attendance, grades, community perceptions of the school, and student behavior. Notes how during two years the club raised over $20,000 and fostered improvements in average daily attendance, achievement test scores, honor roll…

A practicum program was developed and implemented to increase parental involvement, teach parents how to help their children, reverse parents' and students' negative attitudes toward mathematics, and enhance mathematics performance of at-risk seventh-grade students. The objectives of the program were to increase parental involvement by 40 percent,…

This book, designed for students in grades 4 to 6, provides advice to help them do homework independently and successfully. Part 1, "Developing Good Habits," presents exercises and tips on organization and time management, including a self-inventory of homework habits, assistance in goal setting, and designing a personal schedule. Part 2, "Getting…

Project THISTLE (Thinking Skills in Teaching and Learning) is designed to improve the basic skills of college bound urban students by working with their teachers in an integrated process of curriculum and staff development. The project's emphasis is on preparation of classroom teachers to strengthen creative, logical, and critical thinking…

A study examined both cognitive and activity rhythms of lessons in a variety of disciplines and teaching styles in the medical school curriculum among 20 faculty members at Ben Gurion University, Israel. Studied were changes which occurred in the rhythms following a teacher training program, and interrelationship among rhythms and size of learning…

The analysis of proposed or implemented programs for increasing the achievement of at-risk students in all grades is the purpose of this report. Its focus is on identifying effective organizational responses, programs, and practices that improve the achievement of all at-risk children. Schools currently respond to poor academic performance with…

Kingsborough Community College's (KCC) New Start Program is designed to assist students facing dismissal at four-year institutions. After referral by the senior college, students who choose to enroll in New Start are admitted to KCC in good academic standing, are permitted to apply up to 30 previously earned credits toward an associate degree, and…

The third-party evaluation presents assessment of the first cycle of operation of the Experience Based Career Education (EBCE) at Wichita East High School. Twenty-two process objectives and twelve outcome objectives were evaluated with either a nominal (yes/no) assessment of status, or a descriptive (statistical/narrative) assessment of status, as…

Correlational findings from four major teacher effectiveness studies were incorporated into a teacher training program whose preliminary results are presented in this set of five papers. N.L. Gage begins by briefly introducing this program's background and rationale. The second paper, Experimental Effects of In-Service Teacher Training Derived…

Reviews precedents, at the state level, to the movement for education reform. Reports, by year and state, on first reactions to reform. Outlines topics touched by state reform efforts, summarizes unifying themes, and predicts the future of reform. Includes a table of states requiring testing for initial certification of teachers. (IW)

Cargill Scholars is a comprehensive, five-year program that aims to improve students' scholastic performance by raising academic expectations, preventing high-risk behavior, and improving life skills. The program serves 50 socio-economically-disadvantaged children who attend school in Minneapolis or its northern and western suburbs. The program…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program for improving student transfer of knowledge to real life experiences. The targeted population consisted of second, sixth, and tenth grade students in a Midwestern community located outside of a major city. Evidence suggested a need for this program as documented by teacher generated…