This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Michelle B. Parker, Lori A. Mulholland, Berkeley National Center for Research in Vocational Education, Gary DeBolt, Boulder Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, Frank de Varona, Jamie McAlister, John D. Couch, Stephen Lewin, and Louann Bierlein.
(1993). Interdisciplinary Study with Computer-Based Multimedia. Interdisciplinary study with computer-based multimedia in the classroom is reviewed. The multimedia revolution involves multiple technologies and multiple modes of sensation, but the computer is at the heart of this revolution. Despite the many challenges, interest is strong for multimedia courseware. The predicted market is enormous, and nowhere more so than in science education. Interactive multimedia is ideal for science instruction. A case study of multimedia use in middle school earth and life science classes by a teacher with no previous computer experience illustrates how conventional instruction can be enhanced. An overall increase in visual literacy must accompany scientific literacy. The requirements for visual literacy are being explored by a number of researchers, and guidelines are being formulated for the design and evaluation of multimedia products. The Santa Fe Christian School (New Mexico) is an example of building visual and scientific literacy in the planned use of multimedia to help students assess their abilities to work in various styles. (Contains 17 references.) Descriptors: Biological Sciences, Computer Assisted Instruction, Computer Software Development, Earth Science
(1993). Charter Schools: A Glance at the Issues. Policy Brief. A charter school is an autonomous entity that operates on the basis of a charter or contract between the individual or group (teachers, parents, and others) that organizes the school and its sponsor (local school board, county, or state board). Once granted a charter, the school receives educational formula-driven funding as though it were a public school district. This document provides an update of charter-school issues. The first sections define charter schools and describe charter-school experiences across the country–in Minnesota, California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Wisconsin. Proponents argue that charter schools are voluntary and offer true decentralization, contract-based accountability, greater professional opportunities for teachers, and increased educational choices for students. The following key policy considerations are also examined: sponsorship, compliance with state laws/rules, the mechanics of funding, governance, overcoming resistance, the inclusion of private schools, the state role in providing technical assistance, and cost. A conclusion is that the potential benefits of establishing charter-school legislation outweigh the impending legislative policy battles. A matrix that compares charter-school laws is included. [More] Descriptors: Accountability, Decentralization, Educational Innovation, Elementary Secondary Education
(1991). Mentoring: Studies of Effective Programs in Education. In examining the theoretical place of induction in the process of becoming a teacher, this paper compares five school-based collaborative models of the use of mentors as part of induction programs to support new teachers. The following aspects of each program are compared: (1) goals; (2) training of mentors; (3) support provided for mentors; and (4) strengths and benefits of each program. The following programs are examined: (1) a collaborative program by the Albuquerque Public Schools and the University of New Mexico; (2) the North Country Mentor/Intern Regional Consortium in Northern New York; (3) the Arizona Teacher Residency Program; (4) the partnership among Hunter College of the City University of New York and the 24 public schools of Community School District Number 4 in East Harlem; and (5) the University of Northern Colorado's partnership program with regional public schools. The following findings are presented: (1) collaboration between public schools and institutions of higher education is extremely beneficial and desirable; (2) the need to support new teachers is critical in light of increased demands and pressures affecting teaching; (3) support of minority group teachers is critical; (4) mentoring programs must include context specific training and ongoing support; and (5) benefits accrue to the individuals and organizations involved. Four figures are included. [More] Descriptors: Beginning Teacher Induction, Beginning Teachers, College School Cooperation, Cooperative Programs
(1992). State Literacy Resource Centers Program Grant Information. This document provides information on the State Literacy Resource Centers established by the National Literacy Act. The information provided for each state in a chart format includes type of action being taken under the grant, operator and location, allocation (in dollars), and contact person with address and telephone number. The 50 states are arranged in alphabetical order. The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are also included. The information indicates that seven states are establishing a new resource center: Alabama, Florida, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Puerto Rico. The following states are reported to be expanding an existing center: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Alaska, Idaho, and Washington are participating in one regional center; Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont in another; and Minnesota and South Dakota in a third. [More] Descriptors: Adult Basic Education, Adult Literacy, Grants, Literacy Education
(1993). Charter School Update: Expansion of a Viable Reform Initiative. To date, eight states (Minnesota, California, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, and Wisconsin) have passed some type of charter school legislation. This report provides information on activities and legislation in these states regarding charter school formation, including the roles played by individual teachers and others as organizers, by local school boards as sponsors, and by county or state officials in providing an appeals process and technical assistance. Statutory requirements, legal responsibilities, funding mechanics, and employment issues including hiring and dismissal, collective bargaining, and job security are also detailed. Recommendations to policymakers are also offered considering potential charter school legislation. The following key issues are considered: Who should sponsor? Which state laws/rules should remain? What about the mechanics of funding? Who should govern? How can resistance be overcome? What about private school inclusion? Do charter schools conflict with consolidation efforts? what role should the state play? and Will charter schools cost more? Findings illustrate that charter schools appear to be a viable reform initiative, particularly in states in which "gridlock" over the future of education has occurred. Appendices contain a comparison of charter school laws and examples of charter school legislation enacted in Minnesota, California, Massachusetts, and Colorado. [More] Descriptors: Decentralization, Educational Innovation, Elementary Secondary Education, Governance
(1993). Establishing Integrated Tech Prep Programs in Urban Schools: Plans Developed at the NCRVE 1993 National Institute. This document outlines the purposes and main activities of a 2-week national institute held in July 1993 in Berkeley, California. Ten teams of vocational and academic educators (125 high school and community college teachers, counselors, and administrators) from 10 major metropolitan areas were selected through a competitive application process to participate in the institute. The teams worked with two mentors (an expert practitioner and a graduate student) to develop a strategic plan for initiating or continuing the development of an integrated tech prep program within urban schools. The planning documents for integrated tech prep programs at high schools and community colleges serving the following major cities are included: Washington, D.C.; Cleveland, Ohio; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Saint Paul, Minnesota; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Detroit, Michigan; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Baltimore, Maryland. Each plan includes information on some or all of the following: current programs (if any), planning team members, program philosophy, student outcomes, program structure, secondary-postsecondary partnerships/articulation, evaluation, and budget. [More] Descriptors: Academic Education, Articulation (Education), Curriculum Development, Educational Objectives
(1992). Mentoring in Context: A Comparison of Two U.S. Programs for Beginning Teachers. NCRTL Special Report. This study describes how the contexts of mentoring shape the perspectives and practices of mentors in the Teacher Trainee Program in Los Angeles (California), an effort to recruit candidates to teach in inner city secondary schools by providing on-the-job training to college graduates, and in the Graduate Intern Program in Albuquerque (New Mexico), an effort to extend preservice preparation by offering structured support to beginning elementary teachers. Data were gathered by interviewing and observing mentors and mentees to determine the kinds of things mentor teachers do; the organizational, programmatic, and intellectual contexts in which they work; working conditions; selection procedures; and preparation. A comparative analysis related to broader claims about the power of mentoring to improve teaching is then presented. Three perspectives on mentoring are identified in relation to teacher induction: (1) casting mentors as local guides; (2) casting mentors as educational companions; and (3) viewing mentors as agents of cultural change. Research on what mentoring looks like in different contexts and what novices learn from their interactions with mentors can help policymakers and program planners understand the power and limits of this intervention in order to design more effective programs. [More] Descriptors: Beginning Teacher Induction, Case Studies, Change Agents, Collegiality
(1991). Reports from Western States. Educational Telecommunications Plans, Policies, Programs. This collection of reports highlights the status of educational telecommunications in 13 western states during 1991. Topics addressed include distance education initiatives in Alaska; activities by members of the Arizona Education Telecommunications Cooperative, including colleges, public schools, and government agencies; groups active in the planning and implementation of technology in California education; activities of the Colorado Telecommunications Advisory Commission, colleges, and other organizations in Colorado; the infrastructure for Educational Telecommunications in Hawaii, as well as Department of Education, University of Hawaii, and legislative activities; telecommunications technology in Minnesota public school districts, community colleges, private colleges, the state university system, technical colleges, and the University of Minnesota; legislative initiatives in Nevada and activities of the University of Nevada; efforts by various organizations in New Mexico, including the state library, the board of education, and several colleges; progress made in North Dakota in the areas of interactive television, interactive video, public television, computer networking, satellite broadcasting, and emerging partnerships; legislative policy, networking, community college services, and activities of state agencies in Oregon; the South Dakota Governor's Telecommunication Task Force and uses of telecommunications technology in various educational settings in the state; activities of Utah state agencies and colleges; and initiatives in Wyoming, including legislation, distance education, interactive video, and community college programs. (ALF). Descriptors: Computer Networks, Distance Education, Educational Technology, Elementary Secondary Education
(1993). Hispanic America to 1776. Globe Mosaic of American History. This textbook examines Spanish exploration, conquest, settlement, and colonization of present-day Mexico, United States, and the Caribbean, and the conflicts and exchanges resulting from culture contact between Spaniards and Native Americans. Chapters cover: (1) first contacts in the Caribbean, enslavement of Native Americans, arrival of African slaves, and society in the Spanish colonies; (2) conquest of the Aztecs, the "Columbian Exchange" (cultural exchange), and creating a Hispanic Mexico; (3) settlement of Florida and founding of St. Augustine; (4) settlement of New Mexico, the Pueblo revolt, and the blending of Spanish and Native cultures to form a unique New Mexican culture; (5) settlement of Texas and establishment of large cattle ranches; and (6) settlement of California, the role of the missions, and the independence of Mexico. Each chapter contains an outline of key ideas, questions for review and critical thinking, a short piece on Hispanic heritage, and suggestions for related writing assignments. Many questions stimulate thinking about Native American resistance to Spanish settlement and Native contributions to present-day Hispanic-American culture. This book contains an index, a glossary, timelines, maps, and drawings. An accompanying separately published "Teacher's Resource Manual" contains lesson plans, teaching tips, historical sidelights, focus activities, and chapter tests and answers. Descriptors: American Indian History, Colonial History (United States), Culture Contact, Hispanic American Culture
(1989). A Brief History of Bilingual Education in Spanish. ERIC Digest. This digest provides a history of American bilingual education in Spanish from the late 1950's onward, to help educators serve Mexican American students. From 1958 to 1968 curriculum reforms influenced by the launch of Sputnik combined with an influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants from Cuba to effect development of bilingual programs in south Florida public schools; such programs were copied in other areas. Successful programs in Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and California led to increased federal interest culminating in pasage, in 1968, of the Title VII Bilingual Education Act. The 1974 Supreme Court decision, Lau v. Nichols, held that school programs conducted exclusively in English denied equal access to education to students who spoke other languages. In 1982, amendment of Title VII legislation gave school districts more flexibility in implementing bilingual programs and offered Title VII projects the option of using English exclusively. Criticism of bilingual programs mounted in the 1980s, however, accompanied by a movement seeking to make English the official language of the nation. This digest suggests that schools must continue to confront the problem of non-English-speaking students in some constructive way. Contains 9 references. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Education Programs, Educational History, Elementary Secondary Education
(1989). Guide to Rehabilitation Services and Self-Advocacy Manual. Client Assistance Project. This guide, which gives an overview of federally funded vocational rehabilitation programs available in New Mexico, was developed for clients and potential clients of vocational rehabilitation services. Written in a simple and clear manner, the manual outlines the goals of rehabilitation: independence, self-management, self-advocacy, and employment. It describes the five agencies established under the provisions of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Commission for the Blind, New Vistas Independent Living Center, Projects with Industry, and the Client Assistance Program. Eligibility requirements are outlined for each agency. Guidelines are offered for appealing the eligibility determination, planning the rehabilitation program, acquiring independent living services, and working well with counselors. Clients are encouraged to become self-advocates, and checklists are provided to enable clients to assess their need for learning independent living skills and job skills. Also discussed are client rights and responsibilities, record-keeping, and social skills. A worksheet is provided to help clients work through problems, and problem-solving services of the Client Assistance Program are noted. [More] Descriptors: Adults, Civil Rights, Disabilities, Federal Legislation
(1989). Hispanics in U.S. History. Volume 1: Through 1865. Volume 2: 1865 to the Present. The Newcomers Series. Each of these two textbooks on Hispanic-American history contains 4 units divided into 20 chapters. Each chapter includes an overarching question; text; reading comprehension questions; study tips; an activity involving geography skills, links between past and present, or daily life; an activity involving arts and technology or using primary sources; a short biography; and questions for critical thinking. Volume 1 units cover: (1) Spain and the New World, Spanish explorers in North America, conquest of Mexico and Peru, and Spanish colonies; (2) the settlement of La Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and California; (3) Spanish gain and loss of Louisiana, 18th-century Spanish explorers, Spanish heroes in the American Revolution, and daily life in Spanish America; and (4) U.S. acquisition of Florida, independence of Mexico, independence of Texas, the Mexican War, and Hispanics in the Civil War. Volume 2 units cover: (1) post-Civil War, the Spanish-American War, Hispanic immigration, and World War I; (2) the Great Depression, World War II, progress after World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars; (3) the civil rights movement, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, and contributions and present status of Puerto Ricans, Mexican-Americans, Cuban-Americans, and other Hispanics; and (4) Hispanic-Americans in public life, including business and labor, politics, federal government, arts, sports, and science and technology. Each volume contains an index, a glossary, timelines, maps, graphs, and many photographs. Descriptors: American Indian History, Answer Keys, Hispanic American Culture, Hispanic Americans
(1989). Plateauing as an Occupational Phenomenon among Teachers and Administrators. The intent of this paper is to clarify the meaning of the "plateauing" of educators and its effects as a unique form of career stall. Initial definitions are followed by a summary of a presentation of and literature on plateauing and some preliminary findings about the extent of plateauing among educators and how they try to cope with it. Three forms of plateauing are defined: structural, content, and life. Identified are the results and findings of a survey designed to test whether results of plateauing studies in business and industrial settings are also applicable to educational settings. Findings indicated that plateauing is most likely to affect educators who are in well-defined positions for 4 or more years and those who are older. A survey was designed and administered to 216 respondents from several groups of teachers and administrators attending professional development programs in New Mexico. Survey results parallel those in the literature: individuals who judge themselves to be plateaued will also likely perceive themselves to work fewer hours and be absent more frequently. The last section is devoted to analysis of coping mechanisms. Appended are 11 references and 5 data tables. Descriptors: Administrator Attitudes, Administrator Effectiveness, Educational Environment, Elementary Secondary Education
(1992). America's Rural Information Resource. The Rural Information Center (RIC), a project of two agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has served rural information needs since 1988. The targeted audience for the RIC is local officials and citizens, rather than scientists and federal officials, and the thrust of its information is rural development rather than production agriculture. The RIC is located at the National Library of Agriculture and networks extensively with experts, agencies, and information services to customize requested information to best meet user needs. Various information products are supplied in formats that fit users' requirements. The RIC's Health Information Service (RICHS) is one specialized service offered to provide easy access to the rural user. Between 25 and 35 percent of all RIC requests involve locating funding sources for local officials, rural communities, and citizens. The examples of two communities in New Mexico illustrate the RIC in use. The RIC also uses the services of several online vendor databases to provide user information. Presidential and congressional support ensures the RIC's continued growth and promises a favorable impact on federal rural programs. [More] Descriptors: Agricultural Education, Agriculture, Computer Networks, Databases
(1992). Setting Regional Priorities for America 2000. Since 1984, public schools have undergone three waves of reform. An effort to raise student achievement was followed by putting greater demands on teachers. The current and third wave emphasizes using the resources of business, industry, and the community to improve education. The goals of this reform movement were codified in the America 2000 program, which sought to improve the educational opportunities for children and adults. In 1992, there was a meeting of the Southwestern New Mexico Regional Conference on America 2000 National Education Goals. A follow-up questionnaire sent to conference participants revealed that noneducators were more pleased with the meeting than educators. Generally, the most positive results from the conference were the growing partnerships between the community and the educational system and the recognition of their importance. Educators and noneducators felt that significant educational funding increases were needed. Both groups also doubted the long-term effects of America 2000. Also agreed upon was that school-community partnerships would increase, larger schools would benefit more, better preparation of children for school was needed, and drugs and violence needed to be eradicated from schools. Tables and figures on the survey are included. (Contains 18 references.) [More] Descriptors: Adult Education, Community Involvement, Educational Change, Educational Objectives