This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include James J. Jelinek, Jacqueline D. Spears, Georgia L. Lonetree, Deborah V. Jolly, Thomas Gabaldon, Ann S. Nihlen, Inc. National Alliance of Business, Magdalena M. Rood, Oakley D. Hadfield, and Fred Lillibridge.
(1990). Developing Effective Schools: Indicators of Educational Success As Roadmarks to Improvement. The first 3 years of a 4-year project to plan and implement school change using a school improvement strategy in five low income, rural, resource-bound school sites are described in this report. One school from each of the following states–Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana–participated in the project. Extreme diversity characterized the schools in terms of population density, minority populations, climate and topography, natural resources, and economies. Quantitative data analysis examined reading, mathematics, and language arts test scores. Qualitative analysis developed contextual indicators, or criteria for improvement, unique to each school. Each school developed its own set of contextual indicators and demonstrated significant changes in school climate. Three schools reported significant improvements in test scores. Findings indicate that two sets of school improvement standards exist: universal ones for student achievement outcomes and those unique to a school's goals and objectives. Recommendations are made for the consideration of the whole school context in assessing school effectiveness and for measuring school improvement in a variety of ways. Four tables are included. (43 references) [More] Descriptors: Educational Assessment, Educational Improvement, Elementary Secondary Education, Evaluation Criteria
(1991). A Hands-On Approach to the Improvement of Rural Elementary Teacher Confidence in Science and Mathematics. Levels of achievement and participation in both school mathematics and school science remain unacceptable throughout most of the nation. Addressing these concerns has unique and specific ramifications for small rural schools, particularly with respect to the economic aspects of providing the materials and manipulatives necessary for hands-on instruction and basic laboratory explorations. The purpose of this project/study was to provide opportunities for the improvement of hands-on science and mathematics instruction to the elementary teachers in rural schools of New Mexico. A 6-day summer mathematics and science inservice workshop was provided for 39 rural elementary teachers focusing on minority participation, hands-on activities, and improvement of attitudes toward the teaching of mathematics and science. Among the results were indications of significant improvement in the knowledge of science and mathematics content as measured by a pre- and post-test, which included sections on knowledge, confidence, and anxiety for each of the two disciplines. There were also significant improvements in both confidence measures, as well as significant decreases in both anxiety measures. Additionally, follow-up visits, which were initiated several weeks after the workshop, indicated that the majority of the inservice participants had disseminated their new techniques and materials and were still enthusiastic about the incorporation of a hands-on method of instruction. (36 references) [More] Descriptors: Classroom Techniques, Elementary Education, Elementary School Mathematics, Elementary School Science
(1990). Mathematics Anxiety in the Navajo Reservation School. Of the many factors that have been proposed as a rationale for poor mathematics conceptualization by American Indians, cultural factors remain the most popular when explanations are submitted. Additionally, the accepted fault for poor achievement is focused upon mathematics anxiety. A study of American Indian school mathematics achievement and mathematics anxiety was conducted at a middle school on the Navajo Indian Reservation in northern New Mexico/Arizona with a total sample of 353 students. The relationships of both achievement and anxiety to certain cognitive style predictor variables was also investigated through the use of the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills Mathematics Subtest (CTBS, 1982), the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale for Adolescents (MARS-A), and the Learning Style Profile as designed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals Learning Style Task Force (NASSP-LSP). Results indicated that mathematics achievement was near the national norm in computational skills, but significantly lower in application skills. Also, mathematics anxiety was found to be excessively high for the entire sample population. Discussion focused upon the possibility that language deficiencies were the underlying cause for the discrepancies between computational and application skills. (29 references) [More] Descriptors: American Indian Culture, American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Brain Hemisphere Functions
(1992). Demographic Factors in Adult and Continuing Education. A Resource Guide for Teachers, Administrators, and Policymakers. This resource book contains demographic data for the eight states of the Mountain Plains Adult Education Association. All information is current (1990-92) and comes from the national census and hundreds of research studies. Chapter I provides a demographic perspective of the nation, describes a holistic view of demographics, and discusses implications for adult and continuing education. Chapters II-IX present data by state: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Data on people include growth, urbanization, and ethnicity. Data on education are provided in the following categories: adult basic education–state system for public-supported programs; postsecondary education–state system for public-supported community colleges and universities, private colleges and universities, public-supported vocational technical schools, private vocational technical and proprietary schools, and student assistance programs; master planning for higher education; cultural institutions; historic sites; and communications media. Information on government is followed by data on the economy: agriculture, forestry, mining, manufacturing, tourism, transportation, and energy. Other data include the following: annual performance report in adult education, Tests of General Educational Development, estimates of levels of proficiency in basic skills, accredited institutions of postsecondary education, members of the executive and legislative branches, and senators and representatives in Congress. Names, addresses, and telephone numbers are listed. Chapter X contains socioeconomic indicators in the Mountain Plains states. Chapter XI discusses implications for adult and continuing education. There are 208 tables and 133 figures. Sources are listed for each state and in an appendix. [More] Descriptors: Adult Basic Education, Adult Education, Adult Learning, Continuing Education
(1992). Tribally Operated Section 130 Vocational Rehabilitation Projects, Third-Year Follow-Up. Final Report. The purpose of this study was to follow up two previous studies on the vocational rehabilitation needs of American Indians with disabilities and the effectiveness of projects authorized by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title 1, Part D, Section 130 to meet those needs. A self-evaluative questionnaire was developed and mailed to the project directors of 14 American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Projects, with 8 projects responding from Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Washington. The questionnaire gathered data on number of clients served, the screening process used to determine eligibility, rehabilitation status, percentage of severely and multiply disabled clients, inclusion of American Indians with disabilities in policy development and implementation, referral sources, types of disabilities, commonly needed and utilized services, and types of service providers. Results indicate that projects have been progressively building upon and improving their services to American Indians with disabilities. Ten recommendations are offered. Appendices provide survey forms from all three phases of the study. (Contains 12 references.) [More] Descriptors: American Indians, Citizen Participation, Disabilities, Federal Legislation
(1990). Native Language and Culture. INAR/NACIE Joint Issues Sessions. National Indian Education Association (NIEA) Annual Conference (22nd, San Diego, California, October 15, 1990). This report summarizes two joint sessions held by the Indian Nations At Risk Task Force and the National Advisory Council on Indian Education to hear testimony on educational issues related to Native American language and culture. Educators, students, parents, and tribal officials made presentations concerning: the importance for academic success of retaining one's Native or historic language base; the suppression of Native language experienced by older tribal members who attended boarding schools; philosophical problems and personal experience in bilingual education; efforts to preserve the culture and language of small tribes; the need to train non-Native teachers of Indian students about Native culture and language; and three programs and strategies that work. The federal Native American Languages Act, which supports the use and preservation of Native languages, is briefly summarized. State and local initiatives related to bilingual education in Wisconsin, New Mexico, Alaska, and Washington are described. Recommendations are made concerning: standards, definitions, and planning for teaching Native languages; higher education and alternative certification for teachers of Native languages; the importance of studying tribal history; and the special challenge of providing cultural education for urban American Indians. [More] Descriptors: Acculturation, American Indian Culture, American Indian Education, American Indian Languages
(1990). Accommodating Change and Diversity: Multicultural Practices in Rural Schools. A Report of the Ford Western Taskforce. Rural Amrica has been experiencing dramatic changes in the transition toward a socially and culturally diverse society. This study is a first effort to explore multicultural reform in rural schools. Multicultural education is the process by which the school environment is modified to accommodate cultural differences as well as to teach the role culture plays in shaping people's view of society. The Rural Clearinghouse for Education and Development commissioned five separate case studies of selected rural schools in Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Washington. At each site, school administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community members were interviewed and documentation on multicultural education was collected. The centerpiece of this document consists of the five case study reports, each by a separate writer, with the analyses focused on some or all of the following elements: (1) school mission; (2) staffing; (3) curriculum; (4) instructional strategies; (5) policies and norms; (6) home linkages; (7) community linkages; (8) staff development; (9) extracurricular activities; (10) assessment and testing; (11) multicultural leadership; and (12) student characteristics. A summary of various multicultural educational practices and a listing of resources on multicultural education are included. An appendix presents the protocol for the case studies. [More] Descriptors: Case Studies, Change Strategies, Community Characteristics, Cultural Differences
(1984). Distance Learning: A Review for Educators. Designed to provide an overview for educators, this report summarizes experiences to date with applications of communications and computer technology to distance education. Findings relevant to educators concerned with grades K-12 in the six-state region of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas are emphasized. A brief overview of potential distance education technologies covers (1) audio technologies such as audio teleconferencing, audio graphics, freeze-frame video, radio broadcasting, and audio cassettes; (2) computer communications including electronic mail, computer conferencing, and computer-assisted instruction; (3) teletext and videotex; (4) interactive videotape and videodisc; (5) television including Instructional Television Fixed Service and cable systems; and (6) communication satellites. Important factors in evaluating distance learning projects are examined, including student performance; performance of hardware and software; capital, start-up, and operating costs; level of complexity of software development; attitudes of teachers, learners, and project staff; and relationship of project goals to institutional goals. A review of significant projects drawn from the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and developing countries includes examples of applications using each of the technologies reviewed. An analysis of key findings follows each group of project summaries. Final observations are drawn from the project review and distance learning research, and a four-page bibliography is provided. [More] Descriptors: Computer Assisted Instruction, Computers, Distance Education, Educational Media
(1990). Recruiting and Retaining Native Americans in Teacher Education. This paper identifies problems in Native American teacher training and suggests solutions to improve the training. In New Mexico, ideal candidates for teacher licensure are a group of Native American teacher assistants who work with Native American students. Most lack the general education requirements for a bachelor's degree and must take extensive coursework. Although 29% of the teacher trainees at the College of Santa Fe are Native American, only 56% of these trainees are active during any given semester, compared to 78% and 77% for Hispanic and other ethnic groups, respectively. Factors that explain disruption in teacher training of Native Americans are: (1) poverty; (2) geographic isolation; (3) family commitments; (4) cultural conflicts; and (5) inadequate academic experience. To address these problems, the program contacts Pueblo councils to find candidates for teacher training. Efforts also continue to recruit Native American teacher assistants, by providing financial support for coursework through school districts and by offering core coursework at the same institution as that in which students do their teacher training. Native American students could be retained in the program by offering them a larger monthly stipend, more on-site courses, and on-site advising and tutoring. [More] Descriptors: Access to Education, American Indian Education, American Indians, Cultural Differences
(1992). Schools as Centers for Reflection and Inquiry: Research for Teacher Empowerment. This paper describes an ongoing case study of how a group of teachers are becoming researchers and what this means for their classrooms and the professional development school where they work. A collaborative teacher development program was implemented in Dickinson Elementary School of Albuquerque (New Mexico) which serves a mobile and mixed ethnic community. In phase 1, a group of teachers in the school worked with graduate students enrolled in a university ethnography class to formulate research questions and to engage in ethnographic inquiry. In the second phase, a collaborative, onsite course was taught at the school that helped teachers use qualitative research methods in their classrooms. A year-round professional development school is now in place. Findings indicate that teachers learning to be researchers: learn to see research as praxis and develop their understandings of the world; learn the language of research and critical analysis; and develop true collaborative relationships. The next step is to understand how subordinate student groups are silenced in their schools. University professors in colleges of education must join with school teachers in rethinking and reforming the pedagogy in teacher education programs which has promoted an ideology of teachers as technocrats and public servants. They must begin to be seen as active, reflective scholars and empowered practitioners in their school. (Contains 13 references.) [More] Descriptors: Critical Thinking, Educational Cooperation, Elementary Education, Ethnography
(1991). The Compact Project: Final Report. The National Alliance of Business (NAB) surveyed the 12 sites that participated in the Compact Project to develop and implement programs of business-education collaboration. NAB studied start-up activities, key players, conditions for collaboration, accomplishments, challenges, and future plans. Program outcomes indicated that building successful coalitions was dependent on context, the elements of which are as follows: historical relationships, communication and understanding, solid leadership, ongoing discussion, commitment, action, and a "whole student" focus. The 12 projects included the following: Albuquerque (New Mexico) Business Education Compact; Cincinnati (Ohio) Youth Collaborative; Detroit (Michigan) Compact; Invest Indianapolis (Indiana); Louisville (Kentucky) Education and Employment Partnership; Memphis (Tennessee) Youth Initiative; Greater Miami (Florida) Partnership; Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Promise; Providence (Rhode Island) Compact; Rochester (New York) Jobs, Inc.; San Diego (California) Compact; and Seattle (Washington) Youth Investment. A description and goals, accomplishments, and challenges were documented for each site. NAB found a diversity of responses–from single school job programs to projects that delivered comprehensive services from preschool throughout the high school years. In a few of the cities, the Compact Project completed the funding cycle. In some, it survived as part of other community initiatives or as a new program that was an extension of the original. (Information on project contacts is appended.) [More] Descriptors: Community Support, Cooperative Programs, Coordination, Corporate Support
(1991). Las Cruces Public Schools. The Graduate Survey, Class of 1989. Members of the Las Cruces School District graduating class of 1989 were surveyed by mail about postsecondary studies, work, and the effectiveness and usefulness of their high school courses and experiences. Of 998 graduates, 203 responded. Respondents were 57% Anglo and 42% Hispanic. Compared to the graduating class as a whole, respondents had significantly higher rates of female and Anglo and had a higher mean grade point average. About 79% of respondents were attending school either full time or part time, and 60% of these students were working. Respondents indicated that: (1) English, math, and science were the most useful subjects in high school and should receive greater emphasis; (2) they could have and should have taken a more serious approach to their high school studies; and (3) career planning and counseling services in high school were weak. College students felt that advanced placement courses had been beneficial. The high percentage of students attending New Mexico State University suggested the need for closer coordination between the school district and that university. Of 30 respondents not attending school or in the armed forces, 43% reported high job satisfaction, and only 10% reported that the job was related to their vocational studies in high school. This paper contains data tables, charts, and figures. The appendices include the survey instrument and the survey results in tables or charts. Descriptors: College Students, Educational Assessment, Graduate Surveys, High School Graduates
(1992). Modified School Schedules: A Look at the Research and the Pacific. Past efforts to improve education have focused on curriculum and instruction. Some schools are pursuing more systemic year-round schooling and 4-day week reforms. The Waihe'e Elementary School and the Star of the Sea School, both in Hawaii, are implementing single-track plans for year-round schooling to improve academic achievement, social-affective behaviors, and community life (Waihe'e) and to provide flexibility in the core curriculum (Star of the Sea). Satisfaction remains high for 4-day school weeks in New Mexico and Colorado. Studies suggest that feared declines in academic performance have not occurred, with tentative evidence of improved achievement. In Oregon, 4-day week schools elicited positive responses from staffers, parents, and students. The saved time translated into increased savings, more instructional time, more time for extracurricular activities, and improved attendance. In Hawaii, the Ma'ili and Ha'aheo Schools implemented 4-day weeks with longer instructional days that have increased achievement and teacher, parent, and student interaction. Evidence suggests that year-round schooling can be successful depending on the reform context, and that 4-day weeks, in general, work in small/rural school districts. (Contains 14 references.) [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Elementary Secondary Education, Extended School Day, Extended School Year
(1990). School-Linked Services for At-Risk Youth and Their Families: Trends in State Agencies. This paper examines the delivery of social and human services to school-aged children and their families through some form of coordination with the local school. A questionnaire was completed by representatives of 55 state agencies in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Respondents reported that their agencies provided 88 services for school-aged children and their families, of which 56 were provided through schools, at least occasionally. The services most likely to be provided through schools were education related (dropout prevention and special education), alcohol and drug prevention, and pregnancy prevention or counseling. Other types of school-linked services were child care, child welfare, family support, family welfare, child health, mental health, juvenile justice, and youth employment. Respondents from all agencies agreed that the most critical needs of children and their families are comprehensive affordable health care, social services that promote family self-sufficiency, and flexible school environments that provide for students' educational needs in scheduling and curriculum. Respondents also agreed that agencies needed to overcome obstacles to service delivery by creating effective communication and coordination structures; developing strategies to ensure adequate funding; and improving public attitudes, awareness, and acceptance of school-linked service delivery. Implications for public policy are discussed. The survey data are presented in 8 tables. Appendices contain the survey questionnaire and a list of coordinated services in the region. [More] Descriptors: Ancillary School Services, At Risk Persons, Children, Delivery Systems
(1991). Meeting the Needs of Rural Gifted Students with Handicapping Conditions. This paper describes a rural Hispanic community's efforts to identify and develop a program for gifted students in grades 2-6 who are also mildly to moderately handicapped (learning disabled, behavior disordered, or communication disordered). The "Twice Exceptional" (2E) program, in Los Lunas, New Mexico, is a modified full-time separate classroom with seven goals: (1) student identification; (2) differentiated curricula; (3) full utilization of technology such as computers; (4) mentorship development; (5) family systems support; (6) staff training; and (7) dissemination. This report summarizes the program's philosophical considerations and history and then describes the selection process; transportation services; equipment acquisition; funding and cost considerations; announcement/notification procedures; support from parents, the community, and the school administration; and counseling concerns. Program successes with 11 enrollees are briefly reviewed. Future program plans and advantages and disadvantages of implementing such a program in a rural area are noted. Appended are a program summary, identification criteria, and an outline of curriculum components. Includes seven references. Descriptors: Ability Identification, Behavior Disorders, Communication Disorders, Curriculum Development