About 80,000 children enter kindergarten in Washington each year, and many lack basic language and behavioral skills--such as knowing letters and colors, following directions, getting along with others, and exhibiting impulse-control. In 2006, based on the recommendation of the Washington Learns Commission, Governor Christine Gregoire created the…

Three hundred fifty-nine pupils in grades four through six were given a supplemental guided discovery mathematics program designed for Special Elementary Education For the Disadvantaged (SEED). The guided discovery group improved approximately twice as much as the control group in arithmetic computation, concepts, application, total score, and in…

Classroom mathematics discussions can be difficult for teachers to orchestrate (e.g. Boerst, T., Sleep, Ball, D.L., & Bass, H., 2011; Ensor, 2001; Sherin, 2002). These discussions require attending to and responding to students' ideas about mathematics in ways that are responsive to their approaches, yet also guiding the group toward more…

Purpose: This paper assesses the effectiveness of volunteer farmer trainers in promoting adoption of agricultural technologies in western Kenya. Specifically, the purpose was to assess the type of information they disseminated, farmer trainers' characteristics desirable to farmer trainees, and how trainees evaluate farmer trainers.…

Consistent, significant, continuous school improvement depends on enhancing 12 aspects of the school culture: collegiality; experimentation; high expectations; trust and confidence; tangible support; awareness of new knowledge; appreciation and recognition; caring, celebration, and humor; participatory decision-making; protection of vital…

This study is concerned with different forms of assessment of pupils' skills in experimentation. The findings of three studies are reported. Study 1 investigates whether it is possible to develop reliable multiple-choice tests for the skills of forming hypotheses, designing experiments and analysing experimental data. Study 2 compares scores from…

The goal of the Schoolhouse Energy Efficiency Demonstration (SEED) was to assist schools in reducing the impact of the rising cost of energy by defining good energy management programs and by implementing quick-fix, low-cost energy efficiency improvements. Twenty schools in 15 states participated in the demonstration program. This report covers…

Reviews research on the relationships between teacher metaphors and the teaching and learning of science. Portrays metaphors as a way in which knowledge about science teaching can be represented and as potential foci for discussions about enacted science curricula and powerful tools for generating new ways of thinking about the teaching and…

Empowered school staff find opportunities to work together. Outlines the superintendent's role and the conditions that must be met in order for empowerment and school improvement to succeed. (MLF)

A process description and preliminary evaluation are provided for the Weed and Seed initiative in Springfield (Illinois). This initiative involved local, state, and federal resources in projects that included (1) facility improvement, (2) drug prevention, (3) youth education and child care, (4) jobs and vocational training, (5) resident…

The Star Schools Assistance Program has been funding activities since 1988. It provides projects with seed money to develop distance learning programming and equip sites. In addition, Star Schools has served as a focal point for demonstrating innovative uses of technology to advance educational opportunity and improvement. This paper represents…

This document provides a composite index of the first five sets of software annotations produced by Project SEED. The software has been indexed by title, subject area, and grade level, and it covers sets of annotations distributed in September 1986, April 1987, September 1987, November 1987, and February 1988. The date column in the index…

The "CURA Reporter" is published quarterly to provide information about the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA), an all-University applied research and technical assistance center at the University of Minnesota that connects faculty and students with community organizations and public institutions working on significant public…

THIS TEACHER'S GUIDE IS DESIGNED FOR USE WITH AN ELEMENTARY SCIENCE STUDY UNIT, "GROWING SEEDS," IN WHICH SUCH BASIC SCIENCE SKILLS AND PROCESSES AS MEASUREMENT, OBSERVATION, AND HYPOTHESIS FORMATION ARE INTRODUCED THROUGH STUDENT ACTIVITIES INVOLVING SEEDS, GERMINATION, AND SEEDLING GROWTH. THE MATERIALS WERE DEVELOPED FOR USE IN…

The National SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) project on Inclusive Curriculum provides K-12 teachers an opportunity for renewal and consideration of gender-inclusive and multicultural curricula. Seminars, led from multiple perspectives, immerse participants in recent scholarship on inclusive education and model teaching strategies…