Continuous improvement, a structured process for using data and research to improve educational programming, is an important component in creating and maintaining successful CTE programs. For practitioners to engage in continuous improvement--and to use data and research to go beyond accountability--they need to maintain an effective data…

As educators across the nation launch into frenzied efforts to "do something" in response to the various recommendations of commissions on educational excellence, many are forgetting that knowledge of how to implement change is available. This paper focuses on three concerns that educators must face when fitting general recommendations…

This paper presents a model for turning research findings into prescriptions for practical action. The model contains the following five interactive elements: (1) clear, understandable research knowledge; (2) relevant knowledge, which is seen as meaningful to normal life and concerns; (3) images of actions which exemplify the knowledge; (4) a will…

Local schools and school districts lack organized information on school effectiveness to select programs and practices to meet their specific program improvement and implementation needs. Critical program features, implementation and training requirements, program costs, program-delivery systems, program impacts, and a host of other relevant…

The first part of a 3-part guide developed as a resource for people involved in the selection and implementation of new programs in school settings, this overview describes a wide range of linking agent roles and skills, and discusses training and support mechanisms for linking agents. Chapters address (1) the assumptions underlying the overview,…

The second part of a 3-part guide developed as a resource for people involved in the selection and implementation of new programs in school settings, this collection of articles covers such topics as consultation, educational change, and linking processes. The following readings are included: "Behavior of Innovative Personnel," by Gary…

The third part of a 3-part guide developed as a resource for people involved in the selection and implementation of new programs in school settings, this examination of each phase of the linking agent's work contains articles and papers by more than 30 authors and is organized according to six stages: (1) initiating the relationship with the…

This document is designed to provide an overview of the Individualized Learning System as planned for implementation in Oregon vocational education programs. The document provides information and suggested procedures for implementation of an individualized course using Individualized Learning System materials. The guide is organized into six…

Suggests steps in planning and managing student tracking systems: build support, determine the system's purpose, inventory available student data, identify information gaps, consider a small prototype, make tracking ongoing, and use the system. Reviews potential problems during implementation. Cites further sources of information. (DMM)

This handbook provides information to help the policymaker or educator understand the research process in order to study problems and opportunities associated with the education of girls in Africa. In Africa, girls account for only 57% of the school-age population. They are more likely to drop out of school and to score lower on the examinations…

This kit contains a guide and materials for a workshop on the requirements of a schoolwide project under Chapter 1 (Hawkins Stafford Act of 1988). Included are the Presenter's Guide, nine transparencies, and one handout. Schoolwide projects are allowed to use Chapter 1 funds to upgrade the entire educational program of a school when several…

To assist in local school improvement, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) has developed an approach in which teams of local educational leaders are made aware of the results of effective schooling research and are trained in the processes of change and improvement. Research reviews have shown specific elements of schooling at the…

This guide is intended for use in locally conducted inservice programs and university courses. It is designed to aid each school of a district and the district office itself in starting and maintaining a self-improvement capability by maintaining or improving (1) student achievement, interest, behavior, and citizenship; (2) effective…

Stages in the educational facility planning process are presented in this handbook, with a second focus on implementation. Four chapters provide information on the four cycles of the planning process, which include analysis and diagnosis, research and development, planning and programming, and implementation and evaluation. Characteristics of an…

This document, one of 12 guides that have been developed to facilitate evaluation by and for local education agency (LEA) personnel in Illinois, covers two phases of educational facilities evaluation: the need for new facilities and the adequacy of existing facilities (with the second part receiving greater emphasis). The guide has been designed…