Employed Nominal Group and Delphi techniques of group decision-making to identify and determine relative intensity of stressors of nursing home administrators in Texas. Revealed that most stressful conditions involved relations with persons and agencies outside the nursing home: state agencies, legislators, general public, and relatives of…

The multiple scenario analysis technique for organizational planning used by multinational corporations is adaptable for colleges and universities. Arizona State University launched a futures-based planning project using the Delphi technique and cross-impact analysis to produce three alternative scenarios (stable, turbulent, and chaotic) to expand…

There are thousands of different inservice education programs. The purposes of this study were to identify the elements of effective teacher inservice education; to measure to what degree these elements actually exist in inservice education programs reported by Texas teachers; and to develop a strategy for effective teacher inservice. A modified…

Discussed are a review of related literature, a review of other programs, a survey to determine the actual learning environment of the other programs, a review of student demographics, the group decision process (a Delphi exercise), and the evaluation of the program components. (CW)

Although the major locus of mental health care in the United States is in community agencies, funding cutbacks threaten the services those agencies provide. To assist human service managers in developing guidelines and concrete action strategies for dealing with financial problems, 106 mental health professionals (e.g., agency directors, technical…

Market research, important for professional renewal, is a critical part of continuing education program planning. It includes attention to learning needs and learner motivation to participate in continuing education. Informal market research makes use of internal sources, such as enrollment data, program evaluations, policy statements, and staff…

Designed to assist persons charged with the preparation of planning proposals that meet the requirements of the program of federal assistance to vocational education, this booklet reviews several types of planning strategies. After introductory comments, the booklet lists several steps that all planners should incorporate into their strategy: (1)…

A new technique for evaluating postsecondary education courses and improve instruction uses directed group discussion based on formative evaluation of the course concerned. It draws on Delphi technique and nominal group process but is more easily administered and produces higher user satisfaction. Its reliability has been confirmed in educational…

Because schools must operate in a changing environment, educators must manage change whether they wish to or not. Administrators must plan accordingly, and the best plans arise from a solid theoretical base. This book provides that base, by drawing on systems theory to develop effective approaches to strategic and operational planning in…

Using the Delphi technique, a nationwide panel of experts identified 33 competencies that volunteer administrators (VAs) will need during the next decade and categorized them into these five constructs: organizational leadership; systems leadership; organizational culture; personal skills; and management skills. Twelve barriers to acquiring the…

An educational planning model and instructional approach to prepare school administrators for the role of strategic planners are described. The model, ED QUEST, integrates future research techniques and divergent thinking modes into a participatory group process that provides visions of alternative futures. Primary activities in the process…

This resource book, for practicing school administrators and professors of school administration, provides 151 adaptable, flexible processes which have been used effectively in school districts to improve academic achievement and learning climate. The book is organized into three parts. Part 1, "Excellence in Leadership," consists of chapters on…

This study sought to identify, prioritize, and generate a thematic understanding of the direction for the next decade of research and study on the culture of students in higher education. Data was collected using a Delphi survey technique of sequential questionnaires from a sample population that included 20 student affairs officers and 20 higher…