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Based on a case study of a large northwestern suburban school district's initial attempts to establish policy for school use of computers, this report addresses such general questions as how school districts develop policies for instructional and administrative uses of computers, how school policy formation committees function, and how their operations can be made more effective. Focus is on the operations of the policy formation committee and its activities and products. Following a brief introduction, the research design, data collection, and data analysis procedures are explained. The case study is then detailed, with descriptions of the charge to the committee; its composition, products, processes, and dynamics; and its final report, including an executive summary. The case study analysis procedures are also described, including a comparison and contrast of the final report with the committee's charge; examination of the committee's work in regard to recurrent themes, processes, and issues; and a survey of committee members in which they evaluated various aspects of the committee's work and made recommendations for further action. Conclusions based on study findings and concepts identified in the literature as important to the success of educational innovations conclude the report. Fifteen references are listed and a summary of committee events and associated materials are appended. (LMM) more...

To encourage the schools to train students in broad and flexible occupational competencies rather than specific job skills, the Oregon Department of Education has promoted the cluster concept of vocational education. Of the 14 occupational clusters identified as being economically significant in Oregon, business competencies in the accounting, clerical, secretarial, and marketing areas account for 4. This document describes how business teachers in three small school settings have developed programs to provide students with occupational training related to the real world of work in these four cluster areas. Sweet Home (Oregon) High School offers 28 students a year the opportunity to take on several occupational roles in rotation as "employees" of a simulated pet supply distributorship, the Wholesale Monkey Business. Students learn to work together, operate a company, use business machines (including computers), keep books and other records, maintain inventories, and perform other work functions. Alsea (Oregon) High School established a Business Open Lab through which students select and take minicourses in a number of business skills. Union (Oregon) High School offers a 2-year, flexible program including use of a commercially prepared office simulation, the chance to do real work in community offices, and training in student interest areas. (PGD) more...

This report considers one school's approach to science education, examining in particular the development of a two-semester required unified science course. Designed to be useful to all students and applicable to all areas of science, the course is characterized by a high degree of teacher teamwork, as in developing instructional materials. Science teachers organized instructional units around key concepts, process skills, natural phenomena, and science-related problems and identified target objectives for each unit. The teacher-developed course is inexpensive and flexible, easily accommodating timely themes. A full description of Rex Putnam High School's science offerings is given, including course descriptions from the school catalog. Pretest and posttest assessments indicate statistically significant increases in process skills measured, with no significant decrease in skill competencies throughout students' remaining high school years, whether or not they elect additional science courses. Teachers attribute the popularity of elective science courses to effective preparation in the required sequence. The process of teacher development of local programs is cited as the key to successful implementation, and replication of the unified science curriculum in other schools is discussed. Appendixes include a list of key concepts and skills and some considerations for local science curriculum development. (MJL) more...

After reviewing the conceptual bases and practical application of precision teaching, this analysis traces its evolution as the Sacajawea Plan, reports on its implementation in central Oregon school districts, and details the costs and procedures of adoption. Developed by Ogden Lindsley from B. F. Skinner's work in operant conditioning and extended through the Applied Behavioral Analysis methodology, the Great Falls Sacajawea Project comprises: (1) a screening procedure to identify students with basic academic skill deficiencies; (2) a means of continuously measuring student performance in basic skills necessary for learning; (3) a method for charting daily performance; (4) techniques for making decisions from charted performance; and (5) instructional support. The Great Falls Demonstration Project evaluated the effectiveness of precision teaching through a controlled study of six schools, and the project's developers concluded that the techniques produce statistically significant results inexpensively and are helpful to special and regular education students regardless of economic level. Interviews with Oregon teachers who participated in implementing precision teaching techniques in mathematics and reading instruction confirm that charting procedures were generally less rigidly followed after the initial year. Cited as factors in successful implementation are teacher dedication, administrative support, and economic conditions. Sample charts are appended. (MJL) more...

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching were awarded for the first time in October 1983. This bulletin spotlights the two Oregon mathematics teachers who were nominated by the state for the national award. Sue McGraw and Fred Board are master teachers with unique, individual, and exceptional classroom teaching abilities. Both are accessible to students and responsive to their needs. Besides teaching and actively participating in professional organizations, they both volunteer many hours to mathematics education in Oregon. Both teachers continuously update their professional training. The national selection committee rated McGraw and Board uniformly highly, but chose McGraw to receive the award for Oregon. (MD) more...