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This study examined how Department of Defense (DoD) schools have attained high achievement levels among all students, emphasizing Hispanics and African Americans. Researchers investigated organizational and governmental structures linking the daily operations of DoD schools and districts to policy-setting authorities; the nature and quality of instructional practices in DoD domestic and overseas schools; and social and economic conditions associated with students and their families. Data came from visits to 15 U.S., German, and Japanese middle schools and interviews with administrators, teachers, parents, and DoD staff. DoD schools scored at or near the top of all states in reading and writing on the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress. White, African American, and Hispanic students scored well compared to their counterparts in other states, and the racial/ethnic achievement gap was narrower than the gap in other states. The military context of the DoD schools supported student achievement in specific ways. Success rested on a combination of in- and out-of-school factors (a community strategic planning process, alignment of key system components, high expectations, teacher quality, preschool and after-school programs, small school size, and corporate commitment from the military). Appendixes include Overseas Educators School Year 2000-01 Salary Schedule, DDESS (Domestic Dependents Elementary and Secondary Schools) 2000-01 School Year Salary Schedule, and numerous tables and charts displaying statistics relating to the study. (Contains 3 figures, 18 tables, 8 appendixes, and 51 references.) (SM)

This final report, covering the period September 1, 1997 to August 31, 2001, discusses the development, activities, and outcomes of Upgrading Preparatory Work To Augment Reading Development: UPWARD for Students with Disabilities, a multi-faceted program for providing children with disabilities intensive, phonological awareness and other early literacy instruction within general kindergarten classrooms. To develop and evaluate the program, experimental studies were run investigating the effects of a highly structured, class-wide peer-tutoring program. The effects of the programs that emphasized phonological awareness versus beginning word analysis were examined, along with the effects on the development of phonological awareness and other emergent literacy skills of kindergarten children with disabilities, and the incidental benefits for other students in these classrooms. The children were followed though first grade to examine effects on reading development. Results of the project indicate that: (1) peer-mediation was a productive format for delivering reading readiness programs to children as young as 5 years old; (2) the nature of peer-mediated programs should focus on decoding activities rather than on phonological awareness activities; (3) effects for students with and without disabilities were similar in nature; (4) effects were similar in high-poverty and middle-class schools; and (5) the kindergarten teachers were enthusiastic about their participation in Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies. (CR)

This final report describes the outcomes of Project MAPS (Monitoring Authentic Problem Solving), a project that developed multimedia computer-managed assessment environments to overcome the barriers educators face in using problem-solving performance assessment (PSPA) with students with disabilities. MAPS software was developed for 6 alternate performance assessments at each grade: grades 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, for a total of 30 multimedia performance assessments. The multimedia presentation includes CD, options for reviewing selected parts of the CD, options for selecting parts of the text view, and options for selecting parts of the text for the computer to read/reread aloud. Students represent their responses on the computer by moving items from a sticker gallery or by typing in answers. The interactive scoring system automatically scores the student's responses. A study in which 40 students with disabilities and 40 comparable, same-age students completed performance assessments with and without the MAPS multimedia system, found the MAPS system could provide support for students to show what they know on complex performance assessments. Also, results showed that students could be trained in the use of the software in large group sessions lasting no more than 45 minutes. Appendices include sample screens from the MAPS multimedia system. (CR)

This executive summary is an overview of the complete study of current national and state standards documents pertaining to history and social studies, focusing on the teaching about religion. The complete study analyzes the standards and program frameworks in seven national curriculum documents and the academic standards documents and curriculum frameworks developed and adopted by most of the 50 states. References to religion in each document were identified based on a series of keywords. The placement, quantity, and characteristics of content on religion is encouraging, but the study reveals limitations and gaps in integrating discussion of the human religious experience in the nation's social studies standards. Despite religion's secure place in state and national standards, it is possible to conclude that teaching about religion in U.S. public school social studies programs is limited, and it is questionable whether the topic is being pursued with much seriousness or depth. The executive summary addresses the study's objectives and methodology, profiles the seven national curriculum documents and the state standards and framework documents, and highlights the study's conclusions and recommendations. (BT)

This study evaluated professional outcomes for graduates of the 32 programs supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences under the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). Specifically, it evaluated the success of MSTP graduates in establishing research careers and the types of careers and research activities followed compared to graduates of other combined-degree or Ph.D. programs. Data were from National Institutes of Health data bases and curricula vitae provided by graduates of MSTP programs and members of comparison groups. Findings indicated that MSTP graduates are more likely than comparison groups to have received postdoctoral research training support, to hold academic appointments, to have received research support, to have applied for and obtained NIH research grants, and have more total publications and more recent publications. Analysis indicated MTSP graduates are most similar to non-MSTP M.D.-Ph.D.s from the same institutions. Overall, the comparison suggests that MTSP graduates more closely integrate their research activities with medical practice. Individual sections of the report provide background information, detail on the study design, and present findings on educational and career outcomes and professional and research activities. Four appendices include a list of academic department classifications, additional methodology information, definitions and criteria, and statistical tables. (Contains 32 references.) (DB)

This final report describes Project BLEND (Beginning Learning Experiences in Developmentally Inclusive Groups and at Home), a project designed to develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate an ecological model for early intervention for children with developmental delays. Project BLEND included the following components: (a) the partnership (family, child care, BLEND) that was the context in which all activities for supporting each child's development were designed and implemented; (b) service coordination that assisted parents in establishing child care services and coordinating services from other agencies; and transition planning that assisted the child and family in making the transition to their next environment. In the first phase of the project, this model was developed and refined. In the second phase, the model was fully implemented with an existing early intervention center and community child care programs in middle Tennessee. In the third phase, the model was replicated in two sites: a school system in an urban setting that serves young children with disabilities (ages 3-5) and a second site that serves infants and toddlers with developmental delays and their families in a rural community. The report describes the project's activities and includes project implementation and replication checklists in the appendices. (Contains 12 references.) (Author/CR)

This final report presents a study of 27 classes that participated in a school-to-work initiative that used systematic observation methods combined with teacher and administrative surveys to examine the construct validity of classroom practices related to the integration of academic and occupational curricula for secondary students with and without disabilities. A summary of research methodology and study results is presented first, followed by the full report, which is divided into sections covering methods, results, and discussion. Four appendices describe coding definitions, data collection instruments, and teacher and observer manuals (excluding coding definitions). The measures that were observed included general vocational content; reinforced/fused content blend; coaching instruction strategy; applied student activity; and cooperative instruction grouping. Classes represented academic, vocational, integrated academic/occupational, and special education/academic curricula. Results of the study indicated: (1) teachers and students in integrated classes spent more time engaged in activities represented by the measures than those in academic or special education academic classes; (2) teachers and students in vocational classes also spent more time on these variables, except for coaching, than their counterparts in academic and special education classes; (3) tests of significance based on mean ranks typically demonstrated that integrated curricula or vocational classes could be differentiated from academic or special education classes, except for coaching, as instruction strategies; (4) teacher-research staff interobserver agreement was moderate to low; and (5) teachers reported that the measures and instruments were easy to use and produced useful descriptive information. Appendices include assessment instruments. (Contains 100 references.) (CR)

Magnet schools are public schools that offer specialized subject themes or educational methodologies as a way of achieving desegregated student bodies. This document reports on a study of school districts in three communities--St. Louis (Missouri), Cincinnati (Ohio), and Nashville (Tennessee)--that have made wide use of magnets in meeting their obligations to desegregate schools. The focus was on whether these magnet schools served the educational needs and interests of poor and minority children. In St. Louis the study also examined another type of public school choice, a voluntary interdistrict city-to-suburb transfer program established by a consent decree. Findings of the extensive studies lead to the conclusion that the magnet schools and the St. Louis interdistrict program do meet the test of serving poor children when compared to what the children would have experienced otherwise. Without these schools, the children would not have received comparable educational opportunities. The Commission recommends the continued and expanded use of magnet schools and voluntary interdistrict transfer programs with appropriate safeguards. Part One of this document consists of the report and recommendations of the Commission. Part Two contains the technical summary reports prepared on the three school districts. Five appendixes provide supplemental information to the technical reports for the Cincinnati and St. Louis studies and two more appendixes supplement the technical report for the Nashville study. (Contains 4 tables, 12 graphs in appendixes, 32 tables in appendixes, and 36 references.) (SLD)

Vanderbilt University (Tennessee) developed the Diversity Opportunity Tool (DOT), a computer-based interactive videodisk product designed to deal with two major sources of tension and conflict among persons of different racial and ethnic groups: inappropriate behaviors that derive from ignorance and ineptitude and behaviors that are racist in origin and manifest because it is not clear what the university culture will tolerate. DOT is used both to change the behaviors of users and to demonstrate institutional norms of acceptance of racial and ethnic differences among members of the academic community. DOT illustrates authentic stories that show racial discrimination and responses to them that lend themselves to conflict resolution. This report focuses on the process by which DOT was developed, disseminated, and evaluated. Students in a course associated with the project worked to develop the videodisk, which was pilot tested with about 50 freshmen. Following an introduction, the second section of this report presents information on the conduct and content of that course. The third section focuses on efforts to disseminate DOT, and the fourth section deals with the evaluation of DOT at Vanderbilt and other campuses. The fifth and final section presents a summary of lessons learned and recommendations for future research and development. Because of problems with data collection, the planned evaluation did not demonstrate the effectiveness of DOT empirically, but it laid the foundation for further research. Seven appendixes contain materials for the course, the research study, and an outline of the evaluation effort. (Contains 7 appendices.) (SLD)

A classwide peer tutoring program in reading, implemented at 12 elementary and middle schools in three contiguous districts in the middle of a southern state, was evaluated for its effectiveness with three learner types: low achievers with disabilities, low achievers without disabilities, and learners of average achievement. Twenty teachers implemented the Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) program for 15 weeks, and 20 teachers who did not implement it served as controls. The PALS program involves having pairs of students engage in three strategic reading activities: partner reading with retell, paragraph summary, and prediction relay. In each of the 40 classrooms, data were collected systematically on three students representing the three learner types. Pre- and post-treatment reading achievement data were collected on three measures of the Comprehensive Reading Assessment Battery. Findings indicated that, irrespective of type of measure and type of learner, students in peer tutoring classrooms demonstrated greater reading progress than control students. (Contains approximately 120 references.) (DB)

A report is presented on an outreach project that assisted in the development and implementation of early intervention programs, special education, and related services for children with disabilities (ages birth to five). The Magnolia Circle Outreach Project disseminated and helped replicate a "best practices" model to improve the quality of programs and services in six states. During a 3-year period, technical assistance and training were provided to 138 programs in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and support or expanded outreach services were also provided to 76 programs in Tennessee. Assistance provided to community programs, agencies, and local education agencies focused on program self-assessment, regional networks for sharing information and support, local and regional training and technical assistance, and transition of key components to appropriate personnel within agencies. Appended materials include: Outreach activities for each state during 1991-1994, a self-assessment form for evaluating early childhood special education programs; a planning guide to use in conjunction with the self-assessment form; information on outreach presentations and inservice trainings; and evaluation data for outreach activities such as the video library, newsletter, and workshops. (SW)

This study evaluated the short-term and long-term effects of three variants of a case-by-case process for readying students with learning disabilities to move successfully from resource rooms to regular classrooms for math instruction. Twenty-seven special educators from 21 elementary and middle schools and their 47 students with learning disabilities were assigned randomly to one of three experimental conditions or a control group. In the experimental conditions, students were prepared for the transition by use of curriculum-based measurement and transenvironmental programming, each alone and in combination. Educational placement, math achievement, and student attitudes about reintegration were assessed in special and regular education settings. Teachers using the more complex and labor-intensive variants of the case-by-case process were more successful at moving students across settings and fostering greater math achievement and positive attitude change, especially while the students were still in special education. Nevertheless, at 1-year follow up, about half of the 47 students had never been integrated or were moved to the mainstream temporarily, only to be returned to special education. One reason for the relatively high return rate may have been that reintegrated students' math achievement slowed considerably in the mainstream. Implications are discussed. Study data are presented in nine tables and one figure. (Contains 49 references.) (Author/DB)

The changing age composition of audiences gives an indication of the demand for art forms now and in years to come. This survey report seeks to determine the make-up of audience participants by age and preference of art form. Demographic variables considered include: education; income; gender; race; urban place of residence; marital status; and presence of children under 12 in the home. Influences of aging, cohort, and period relationships are also distinguished. The seven demographic control variables clearly change most of the relationships examined. These findings are described and discussed in the first seven chapters of the report. The final chapter turns the focus from arts participation to tastes for art music and indicates a tendency toward omnivorous appreciation for art music and popular music among all groups. This suggests that a broader aesthetic experience encompassing both high brow and low brow forms might be advantageous. Tables showing data are included. Contains 14 references. (NP)

This study attempted to implement and validate a 5-month effort to transition 42 pupils with mild and moderate disabilities (most with learning disabilities) out of math instruction in special education resource rooms and into regular education math. A preliminary discussion examines the "cascade of services" model and transenvironmental programming as a means of facilitating least restrictive environment student placement. The process utilized computer assisted curriculum based measurement (CBM) to teach math operations in both special and regular education settings. This teaching methodology included goal setting, repeated measurement on goal material, and evaluation of the database to adjust instructional programs. The transenvironmental programming involved four phases: environmental assessment; intervention and preparation; promoting transfer across settings; and evaluation in the mainstream. Evaluation (via a math achievement test, a teacher questionnaire, and CBM data) indicated that experimental students outperformed controls in math achievement and were rated positively by both special and regular class teachers. In addition, whereas all 21 experimental students reintegrated into mainstream math settings either full- or part-time, not a single control student did so. (35 references) (DB)

Accountability is high on the education reform agenda as taxpayers, business leaders, and elected officials demand proof of results. Although several states show promising improvements in their accountability arrangements, none has in place a comprehensive system. Such a system includes three fundamental accountability elements: (1) clear and measurable goals that describe intended outcomes; (2) assessment tools that measure progress toward these goals; and (3) incentives that reward goal-achievement and ensure adjustment in case of failure. Vermont, California, Kentucky, and other states have adopted explicit educational outcome goals for their states. South Carolina will focus efforts on two outcome goals: (1) reducing dropouts by one-half; and (2) enhancing students' higher order thinking skills. This handbook profiles South Carolina, Vermont, California, and Kentucky as they experiment with more authentic measures of student ability than traditional multiple-choice tests. Assessment approaches should measure all relevant levels of the educational system. Reforms that shift authority to a particular level increase the importance of assessment at that level. Measures for individual students are important also. South Carolina and Kentucky are implementing an incentive structure based on the performance of individual schools. Any good accountability system is tailored to the education system to which it is applied. One table is included. There are 19 references. (SLD)

This paper describes the empirical literature on consultation effectiveness from 1961-1989, based on a review of journals and a computer search of online databases that identified 119 journal articles, book chapters, and monographs and 59 dissertation abstracts. The median number of data-based publications exploring consultation effectiveness was less than five per year. Psychology journals published more than double the number of such studies than did special education journals. Two-thirds of the investigations used group rather than single-case designs. Behavioral consultation was four times more likely to be investigated than mental health models. In nearly two-thirds of the studies, student or teacher behavior was used alone or in combination with another criterion to judge consultation success, whereas student achievement was a criterion in only one-quarter of the studies. Findings are discussed in terms of how consultation may be perceived in a political climate that is placing increasing emphasis on outcomes and accountability. An appendix contains a list of the identified journal articles, book chapters, monographs, and dissertation abstracts. (27 references) (Author/JDD)

This review examined the literature on peer tutoring in reading with students with disabilities, using the methodology of best evidence synthesis. This approach combines positive aspects of meta analysis with traditional integrative review procedures. It requires all studies reviewed to meet stringent a priori standards. Analysis of the 11 studies in this review indicates that peer tutoring in reading with students with disabilities can be effective. Peer tutoring was found to have an overall effect size of instruction students with disabilities typically receive. However, it was not found to be more effective than teacher-led instruction when the teacher implemented another research intervention. Average effect sizes across dimensions were consistent; however, individual treatments evidenced variable effect sizes. Treatments in which students with disabilities were paired with normally achieving peers and allowed to serve in the role of tutor some of the time consistently produced strong effect sizes and significant findings. An appendix lists the methodological reasons that 19 additional studies were excluded from analysis. Another appendix details the coding process and compares the 11 selected studies in detail. (94 references) (DB)

This report discusses the results of a qualitative evaluation of the Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker (MIHOW) project which served over 500 low-income women from 1982 through 1990. The MIHOW project provides outreach services to low-income families in rural communities in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. Working in partnership with Vanderbilt University, locally based community organizations provide training and supervision to local women leaders, all of whom are uniquely qualified to support their peers and to implement high quality child development services. Forty-six participants responded to open-ended questions which were defined through focus groups. The report describes the poverty of the participants and their lack of education, health care, and employment. The extended family is often a source of support for mothers, but if the mother is unmarried, she is often rejected by her family. Although fathers are not active in the program, they show some interest in becoming involved. The MIHOW worker is able to develop and maintain a relationship with the client because of a shared history, sound information, confidentiality, and a warm personality. The MIHOW project has impacted participants in the following ways: (1) combatting isolation and loneliness; (2) developing a relationship with a caring person (the MIHOW worker); (3) fostering assertiveness; (3) improving self-esteem and goal setting; (4) making sounder health decisions for both mother and child; (5) improving children's skills; and (6) helping parents to gain insights into their children's behavior. Recommendations focus on relationships between workers and mothers, education and work needs, and additional group sharing meetings for participants. Numerous black and white photographs illustrate the text. Study questions are appended. (KS)

This report provides information about "IRIS," a one year interlibrary loan project between the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), and Vanderbilt University. IRIS, which was sponsored in part by a grant under Title II-D of the Higher Education Act, makes the Vanderbilt library's online catalog available for searching at the UTK Libraries, and new telefacsimile equipment provided by IRIS allows Vanderbilt and UTK Libraries to fax journal articles to each other. The first of three parts of the report presents general information about IRIS team members at the two universities and describes what the interlibrary loan situation was like before the grant. The narrative report in the second part presents a discussion of the methodology for implementing IRIS and evaluating the impact of the system on the two campuses. The third part presents a financial status report. A brochure describing IRIS, a copy of the questionnaire for IRIS users, and the composite raw data for the survey are appended. (MAB)

Americans are constantly reevaluating their commitment to First Amendment rights and values and rearranging their priorities, asking themselves whether life would be more civil, more orderly, less threatening if the excesses of expression were somehow more subdued. That clear sense of unease permeates this second State of the First Amendment Survey. Findings suggest that Americans appreciate, understand, and endorse First Amendment principles but become wary and occasionally even hostile when it comes to the practices. Following a foreword by Kenneth A. Paulson, the survey results are analyzed by Paul K. McMasters. A total of 1001 interviews were conducted with modified, stratified sample of non-institutionalized adults 18 or older in the contiguous 48 states. Sampling error for a sample of this size is plus or minus 3% a 95% level of confidence. The annotated questionnaire with the results is included, as is a section on the methodology used. (BT)

The Vanderbilt Summer Research Program in diabetes, which was designed to interest medical students in research careers and diabetes care, was evaluated. The program provides stipends to 20 sophomore and junior medical students for 12 weeks of preceptor-supervised laboratory research work, clinical experience, and classroom instruction. The evaluation design includes the Discrepancy Evaluation Model, which describes differences between program standards and realities. A second evaluation focus compares the long-term effect on program participants vs. a sample of nonparticipant applicants. Results indicate that the program has successfully attracted students naive to biomedical research. All students reported adequate research supervision and instruction, although there was significant variation in the extent to which students, preceptors, and other lab personnel collaborated. Students devoted the vast majority of time to conducting research, spending less time in the classroom and very little in the clinic. All students showed significant pre-post gains on tests that sampled knowledge about diabetes and research design. Finally, in comparison to nonparticipants, participants have published and presented more research papers, and are more interested in pursuing careers in diabetes care. (Author/SW)

A description is given of the Classroom Organization and Management Program, designed to help teachers in grades 1-9 and staff developers improve their overall instructional and behavioral management skills through planning, implementing, and maintaining effective classroom practices. It also seeks to improve student task engagement and reduction of inappropriate and disruptive behavior through well-planned and appropriate academic tasks and activities. The program addresses underlying needs of both beginning and experienced teachers for more professional development and inservice training for teachers who wish to improve their management skills and for trainers who wish to provide professional development activities for teachers. The format is a series of 3-day teacher workshops and/or 7-day trainer workshops that focus on: (1) planning and implementing effective strategies for room arrangements; (2) rules and procedures; (3) student accountability; (4) consequences and incentives; (5) behavior management; and (6) conducting class lessons. Participants are taught observation techniques for follow-up and feedback. Appended are some questions on the program posed by the Program Effectiveness Panel. (JD)

Presented is a summary of the Final Report of the federally funded Project on Classification of Exceptional Children. Reviewed is the scope of the project which emphasized such aspects as the effects of labeling on individual children and the technical adequacy of diagnostic and classification systems. Among limitations ascribed to categories and labels are imprecision and insensitivity to individual changes. Problems in institutional care resulting from labeling are considered. Individualized program planning is seen to be one alternative approach to traditional classification. Provided are major project recommendations in seven broad areas (including funding and manpower training), and listed are seven priority needs including support for parents and fairness to disadvantaged and minority group children). (CL)

This paper examines recent empirical evidence and policy analyses of family-oriented research projects funded by ACYF in order to identify general principles for public policies affecting families with young children. An initial definition of the policy problem focuses on the relationship between families as private systems that enhance human development and bureaucratic structures intended to maintain public good. Two levels of policy implications are identified: policy principles or goals and program options or choices for implementing principles. A review of the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF) funded research projects on child welfare programs, child abuse and neglect services, day care regulation, child development programs, and youth development services provides a major source of empirical information for the policy principles and options listed. These policy principles and options are categorized under (1) preschool child care (care of preschool children by adults other than the children's primary caregiver), (2) family participation (aspects of parent or sibling involvement in policies and programs aimed at strengthening their child rearing capacities), (3) work place issues (allocation of adult's time between child caring and market-place activities), and (4) delivery mechanisms (strategies for implementing federal policies affecting family life and child development). (CM)

The study examines the implementation of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, in one metropolitan school system. The first section details the judicial and legislative background, enactment, and politics of implementation of the law. Chapter 2 reviews theories and research about the conditions for educational change, and describes the study's research design in which 9 sample and 7 case study schools were selected from 67 in the district and implementation criteria designated. The school district from which the schools were chosen is examined in the third chapter which touches on merits and disadvantages of the administrative structure, the history of special education in the district, and implementation strategies employed. The next two chapters focus on implementation factors in the elementary and secondary schools selected, with overview of each of the school's student population, administrative climate, teacher morale, and rate of referral to special education. Among findings were that high performing schools shared a commitment and ability to meet individual needs of children as well as a differentiated program structure; and that secondary schools were shown to be very limited in the special education services they offered and in the handicapped populations they served. A final chapter summarizes implementaton progress and problems in the following areas: child find/referral; provision of services in the least restrictive environment; staffings and individualized education programs; the school district; the general experience of P.L. 94-142; the federal, state, and local role; and strategies of leadership at the local level. Among the study's conclusions are that ways must be found to change grass root routines; complete federal delegation to the states of responsibility for implementing the law would be an abdication of federal responsibility; and implementation may be only indirectly, if at all, related to favorable outcomes for children. (CL)

Resegregation is the process by which students are separated into racially or ethnically isolated groups within desegregated schools. Resegregation may result from the traditional practice of sorting students into apparently homogeneous groups through ability grouping and tracking and through student selection for compensatory education, special education, and bilingual education. The degree to which these practices enhance resegregation is determined by: student assignment procedures that overrepresent minority children in lower academic groupings and underrepresent them in higher academic groupings; minority overrepresentation in school enrollment; the practice of pulling children out of the regular classroom; and the extent to which individual children have multiple eligibility, or qualify for several categorical programs. Discipline practices characterized by the disproportionate suspension of black students also contribute to resegregation. To reduce within-school resegregation, schools must adopt alternatives in current practices. Assessment for student grouping should be based on different kinds of information and should be properly interpreted, instruction should be organized to encourage integration among heterogeneous student groups, and discipline methods should emphasize keeping students in school rather than suspending them. Finally, more research is needed for further progress in reducing resegregation. (Author/MJL)

The Department of Teaching and Learning of Peabody College of Vanderbilt University developed a project to strengthen field experiences for elementary/early childhood teacher education students. The project was designed to use current research to revise the laboratory and practica programs, incorporating technology and simulated classroom experiences. The ultimate goal was to develop teachers who would be problem solvers--able to assess each unique classroom situation and select from alternatives the strategy that would be the "best fit." The study addressed the problems that preservice teachers have in practicum situations and in student teaching. It also focused on the impact of the learning experiences of the project on the problem areas of the elementary/early childhood preservice teachers. The instructional processes used in the practica and student teaching programs were examined to determine which processes improved the problem solving and reflective processes of the preservice teachers. The study also explored how well the objectives and practica experiences reflect research and the effectiveness of using technology in the preparation of teachers. Under consideration also was the effectiveness of an advisory committee and field support team in redesigning a teacher education program. A program assessment report and a practice profile are included in this document. (Study sections are presented as "Project Portrayal,""Program Assessment Report," and "Practice Profile.") (JD)

This volume examines ten communities with histories of lengthy desegregation litigation in order to gain insight into the perceived legal adequacy and practical effectiveness of various desegregation strategies from the point of view of the Federal courts. A conceptual model of the judicial review of desegregation plans is given in diagram form with accompanying text. Reviews of each community are included under two major categories: (1) those concerned with pupil or staff desegregation; and (2) those which focus on non-reassignment or ancillary measures to achieve desegregation and remediation of past discrimination. Under each category, a number of specific strategies are identified, defined, and analyzed according to their legal adequacy and effectiveness in the selected communities. A summary of an in-depth analysis of two communities (Boston, Massachusetts, and Denver, Colorado), which is said to provide understanding of the logic used by the courts and to illustrate the interaction among educational benefits, demographic factors, and equity considerations, is provided in the appendix. (Author/ML)

This report examines State level strategies designed to promote local desegregation efforts as reflected in pupil reassignment plans, housing desegregation, community involvement, and changes within schools. The case histories and results of successful desegregation litigation in thirteen States are discussed. Also presented are the following task force recommendations for effective State action: (1) clear policy directives; (2) commitment to policy; (3) understanding and use of existing State authority; (4) encouraging Federal government coordination of programs for urban integration; (5) financial and psychological incentives to increase residential opportunities for minorities; (6) technical assistance; (7) monitoring and sanctions; and (8) public support. (JCD)

This volume presents a review of the qualitative literature pertaining to desegregation strategies and outcomes, and school characteristics. The review was based on the following objectives of desegregation policy: elimination of racial isolation; improvement of racial relations and academic achievement; promotion of positive community attitudes; and reduction of white flight and resegregation within schools. Public opinions regarding various voluntary and mandatory student reassignment plans and transfer policies are discussed. Also included is a review of the consensus literature which summarizes the perspectives of desegregation experts, an outline of strategies for promoting community involvement and techniques for improving home-school cooperation, and a summary of interview findings based on local and national surveys. The literature suggests that most opinions call for magnet schools in combination with mandatory assignment metropolitan plans, and plans that include the early elementary grades. Also reported are generally positive attitudes toward pre-implementation, inservice training programs and post-implementation community involvement, with the greatest expressed concern being white flight in the absence of a metropolitan plan, and resegregation within schools. The majority of consensus reports focus on the avoidance of resegregation, enhancing racial relations, and academic achievement. Sample interview questionnaire forms for local and national experts are appended. (JCD)

This volume offers a proposal for a national desegregation study which would involve coordinated case studies of twelve to fifteen cities in which there has been substantial systemwide desegregation for 5 to 10 or more years. The following are identified as the principal components of the study: (1) a natural history of school desegregation; (2) a study of housing patterns and markets; (3) a content analysis of media coverage of desegregation; (4) achievement and attitude testing of fifth and tenth grade students in selected schools; and (5) a public opinion survey of adults (parents and non-parents) residing in each city. Also identified are the theoretically and methodologically important evaluation criteria and external validity criteria used in the selection of cities. Each component is justified in a definition of its purpose, and a brief description of the method recommended for data gathering in each area is given. Persons or groups of persons for research of each component are suggested. A time schedule and estimated budget for the project is appended. (JCD)

This paper agrees that there are inadequacies in school desegregation research and suggests strategies for improving its quality and availability as well as improving current educational policies. It is suggested that the interaction of power and resources determines the post-desegregation changes in school policies. The effects of desegregation on various levels of achievement among white and minority students, and on teacher attitudes toward minorities are also discussed. In the area of racial relations, questions concerning the nature of contact among students, the effects of ability grouping and multicultural programs, and the race and sex of students and teachers are identified as the most important issues upon which further research is needed. Also examined are the assets and weaknesses of sociometric measures, attitude scales, and self-reports of behavior in measures of racial contact, racial tension, and racial attitudes. Other topics addressed include research on school discipline, desegregation and Hispanics, the problem of research costs and the utility of secondary analysis, and research on the role of principal and key variables in the study of desegregation processes and outcomes. A bibliography is appended. (JCD)