This report presents selected findings from the second follow-up of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09). HSLS:09 follows a nationally representative sample of students who were ninth-graders in fall 2009 from the beginning of high school into higher education and the workforce. Key research topics for HSLS:09 include secondary to…

Based on data gatered from interviews, observations, and document reviews during a 3-year qualitative examination of curriculum change projects in 14 elementary, junior, and senior high schools, this paper argues that the spread of new classroom practices within a school beyond a core committee of planners is determined by the orgaanizational…

This investigation of the development of young children's concept of evaporation examines their intuitive explanations of real world events involving evaporation. A study of the effects of providing evidence contradicting their explanations and of directing their attention to relevant situational features provides insight into the development of…

This study examines local, ongoing inservice practices and programs for school board members in Pennsylvania in order to devise a program that local districts can adapt or adopt in response to their own needs. Following a brief introduction, a summary describes how data for the study were gathered by means of a series of interviews and…

This paper presents an evaluation of the impact of the Career Development and Assessment Center for Librarians on the professional position of program participants (assessees) and on the managerial level librarians serving as assessors for the program. Changes over time in nonparticipant applicants (control group) and assessee groups are compared.…

This book discusses the causes and impact of global skill shortages, focusing on data from skill shortages measured in the period 1995-1998 in 19 developed and emerging economies. Chapter one contains a brief introduction. Chapter two is a review of theoretical literature on skill shortages, including static and dynamic shortages, efficiency wage…

A survey of heads of collection development in 104 academic libraries was conducted to determine usefulness of information sources on curriculum change for selectors and extent of library involvement in planning such changes. Procedures developed at University of New Mexico and other universities are highlighted. Questionnaire is appended. (24…

A study of citations in instructional development (ID) periodical literature identifies invisible colleges--groups linked by common ideas or approaches--in the ID field. Although ID literature as a whole was weakly based on previous work, this study found eight invisible colleges and 10 authors who dominate the literature. (MBR)

A survey of over 200 English comprehensive schools revealed that nearly half the schools had either implemented or were about to implement staff appraisal schemes. The survey emphasizes the definitional problem of appraisal; some styles of appraisal were the same as staff development. (MLF)

This study examined the instructional effectiveness of three software learning environments--LOGO, drill and practice, and teacher-directed activities--for preschool special needs children. Cognitive distancing was applied to classify children and child-software interactions; dependent measures included indicators of problem solving, skill…

Children mature into adults through their own activities and the influence of their social environment. One such social influence, education, is purposeful, planned, and institutionalized. Educational psychology investigates the psychological foundations of this process, particularly in the development of humankind. The publication focuses on such…

A survey of heads of academic library reference services gathered information on reference collection development. Findings included: (1) selection and weeding frequently are not guided by written policies; (2) empirical studies of use are almost nonexistent; and (3) online availability of sources is an important factor in selection. (20…

The "2011 State Preschool Yearbook" is the newest edition of our annual report profiling state-funded prekindergarten programs in the United States. This latest "Yearbook" presents data on state-funded prekindergarten during the 2010-2011 school year as well as documenting a decade of progress since the first…

Beginning with an overview of the development of the country's educational policy since the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, this paper provides an information survey on the current state of education in the People's Republic of China. After brief sections on the relations between Chinese society and the educational system and current trends in the…

Identifies six needs assessment procedures applied in educational and other organizations, provides examples of how each is used, and discusses the relationship of needs assessment to problem solving. Kaufman's Outcomes Model is described and the Organizational Elements Model is presented as a pragmatic approach to contemporary decision making and…