Communities of practice (COPs) are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better through interacting with one another (Wenger 1998). Communities of practice have enormous potential to support and sustain quality care and education within a community and, in fact, are doing so. Businesses and…

Presents guidelines for creating a Master Planner for the school year. Highlights several factors to consider, including annual classroom projects; standardized testing dates; report card dates; special assembly programs and local/national/world events; book fairs; and end of the year activities. (AEF)

"Collaboration" appears to be a popular trend in business and education as it is discussed more and more frequently in publications. One of the problems associated with collaboration is the lack of clear definition among similar terms such as cooperation, team effort, and partnerships. This paper briefly reviews the literature related to the…

Designed as a resource for all educational personnel involved with Child Find/Serve activities, the manual contains three sections which may be used independently or as a group to provide an overview of the Child Find/Serve process. The first section is an activity based handbook developed to assist in the evaluation of existing and beginning…

Mississippi continues to lead the nation in excessive infant deaths, as shown by the 1984 infant mortality rate of 14.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. This report offers recommendations for actions that should be taken by various entities to rectify the problem. Recommendations are made in the areas of (1) public awareness of teen pregnancy…

The forces of democratization of centralized governments and institutions and the pursuit of companies to deliver customer-defined quality in their goods and services requires better schools to achieve its goals. This book provides a plan for using a democratic and quality-driven process to build high-quality schools, i.e., applying private-sector…

This handbook contains information on the planning, development and implementation of Title I programs in New York State. In an overview of general State education department policy, guidelines on program priorities, application procedures, kindergarten and prekindergarten programs, programs for educationally disadvantaged handicapped pupils,…

Explains why the educational organization should sponsor, facilitate, and coordinate staff development activities. Describes 12 guiding principles that give staff development programs a positive direction, including commitment, recognition of the individual, planning and coordination of staff development, program implementation, and program…

The details of a shared-schedule residency program in the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston are reviewed. Problems encountered are presented along with suggestions for their alleviation and the benefits of the job-sharing are discussed. Guidelines for planning such a program are offered. (Author/JMD)

This paper provides background and practical suggestions for creating and nurturing community partnerships.

The Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) was established by the Washington State Legislature in March 1984 to be administered by the Commission for Vocational Education. The award is to be given to a graduating vocational high school student and is to be based on such criteria as character, attitude, attendance, leadership, civic…

State higher education coordination bodies, it is suggested, should recognize experiential learning either through their policies or their programs. The way in which New York has encouraged experiential learning through three programs and through their activities as a nationally recognized accrediting body is discussed. (Author/MLW)

Discusses guidelines that were developed to ensure that the National Information Infrastructure provides expanded opportunities for education and training. Topics include access requirements for homes and work places as well as schools; education and training application requirements, including coordination by federal departments and agencies; and…

This guide describes successful linkage activities and programs and discusses ways in which vocational educators and administrators can develop more effective linkages with labor unions. The first two chapters outline the purpose and procedures of the feasibility study on which the guide is based. Provided next are descriptions of 24 linkage…

This paper describes a new Head Start demonstration project which will focus on the acquisition of basic educational skills at the preschool level (e.g. positive attitudes toward learning, attention control, language skills) and at the elementary school level (e.g. basic academic skills, attention, memory). The first phase of the project,…