This article was written in response to the editor's invitation to provide an alternative perspective to Zarestky and Cole's article in this same issue. While appreciating the perspective provided, I question the assumption that SOAR (strengths, opportunities, aspirations, results) as an approach to strategic planning will strengthen organization…

Joseph S. Wholey is Professor Emeritus in the University of Southern California's (USC) School of Public Policy, Planning, and Development. He received his BA from Catholic University, Phi Beta Kappa and his MA in mathematics and PhD in philosophy from Harvard University. His work focuses on the use of strategic planning, performance measurement,…

This webinar explored several elements of teacher preparation pathways, including the history, popularity, and quality of various routes to certification, as well as the impact of these various pathways on teacher quality and retention and student achievement. This Q&A addressed the questions participants had for Dr. Grossman following the…

Across the United States, many school districts are investing large sums of money to install interactive whiteboards (IWBs) in classrooms. For example, the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) aims to become a "digital district" by installing IWBs into 5,000 classrooms over the next two years. This particular implementation of…

Examines the subtle and not-so-subtle factors underlying private/public partnership formation in university settings and proposes a framework of "institutional readiness" for engaging in such efforts. The experience of the California State University in its innovative technology infrastructure initiative is discussed as an example. (MSE)

This article reviews results of research on individualized planning for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. It discusses the relevant change in the values, philosophies, policies, and developments that have occurred during the last 25 years and discusses how these have influenced planning for, with, and by, people with…

This volume consists of nine papers dealing with transportation education and training in the 1980's. Contents of the volume are the following articles: "Development of a Unique Highway Safety Curriculum," by Larry E. Jones; "Railroad Engineering Education at the Undergraduate Level," by Richard G. McGinnis; "Cooperative…

Results of a survey of planners at 133 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada are summarized. The study gathered information on (1) which problems tend to get solved, and which do not; (2) factors contributing to success in planning; and (3) planners' suggestions for improving the planning process. (MSE)

The University of California at Los Angeles, in attempting to respond to state legislators' demands to redirect teaching and research to match society's needs, has faced substantial administrative challenges. A Responsibility Center Management model for strategic institutional planning has failed to produce desired changes and has tended to…

Discusses an approach to planning that is necessary if management development is to be successful. (JOW)

This article presents the author's response to "Excessive Positivism in Person-Centered Planning," by Steve Holburn and Christine D. Cea. The author begins by complementing Holburn and Cea on their courage to voice concerns that perhaps may not appear to be politically correct or perhaps too bold to express in the context of a journal like…

Academic advising must be accountable for its resources and program effectiveness. The Annual Plan approach of Brigham Young University gives advisers an opportunity to assess and reflect on advising's strengths and weaknesses and to design feasibility goals and objectives to improve the program. (MLW)

Incorporating community education into a district's strategic plan avoids add-on or piecemeal approaches and makes community education an integral part of the education program. (SK)

In this article, the author offers his critique on Holburn and Cea's notion on "excessive positivism" that person-centered planners are overconcerned with scientific verification and logical proof. The author believes that Holburn and Cea's notion blurs the important messages they have for person-centered planners by leading toward a debate about…

For more than 60 years, the Georgia State Board of Education has allotted funds to the University of Georgia for use in preparation of vocational teachers and administrators. Since passage of the 1963 Vocational Education Act, however, emphasis has been put on programs and services for specific groups of people, rather than on instructional areas…