Young children are gaining access to and enrolling in preschool programs across the country in increasing numbers. Unfortunately, the quality of these programs varies tremendously. The highest quality programs disproportionately serve children from the most advantaged homes. By contrast, lower quality and less effective programs disproportionately…

The new Early Education Essentials measurement system, developed by the Ounce of Prevention Fund (Ounce) and the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research (UChicago Consortium), offers the field a reliable and valid way to measure, attend to and strengthen these conditions critical to improvement. This innovative resource includes…

Given the importance of administrative attention to blended learning, this article adumbrates the institutional benefits but also the institutional challenges of this integration of online and on-campus instruction. The reasons for engaging in blended learning determine how it will play out, so the "why" is given precedence over the "how." But…

Many schools attempt to implement multiple programs to promote positive young adolescent development; however, these programs are often fragmented and lack coordination. The authors describe an initiative designed to help schools coordinate their social-emotional and character development (SECD) efforts to improve school climate and help students…

Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. A truly global business, Nokia makes a wide range of mobile devices and provides people with experiences in music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games and business mobility through these devices. Nokia…

This article considers some of the challenges faced by managers operating in rapidly changing "edge of chaos" organizations and assesses whether postgraduate education can be designed to engender the abilities and skills required in such environments. In particular, can a management development process be aligned with an educational…

This is the Phase I report for a needs assessment and accompanying study sponsored by the Oklahoma State Department of Education which was conducted during the 2010 calendar year. This report seeks to determine the importance of nine essential elements to being classified as a school in need of improvement. 61 schools are involved in this study…

Profiles of six workplace literacy programs in Canada identified a number of factors contributing to program success: funding resources, marketing/recruitment strategies, innovative organizational structures, support services, organizational philosophy, and commitment to the new training culture. (SK)

Examines the organization of quality circles in Italy, the training aspect of these quality circles, and advantages and limitations of quality circles. For successful circles, the author recommends a feasibility study by qualified consultants, an experimental pilot project confined to certain parts of the company, and a fully informed management.…

The author cites conditions for error within schools as one major reason for limited effectiveness of instructional supervision. The ongoing diagnostic process of identifying conditions that reduce the effectiveness of supervision is termed organizational learning. The importance of involving the entire school system is emphasized, and the initial…

Adapting the principles outlined in "In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best Run Companies" (Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr.) to the operations of continuing education departments, this paper discusses eight rules for success and provides examples of their application. Rule One, "Bias for Action," emphasizes the…

Faculty development programs have generally failed to become a permanent fixture in colleges' organizational structure, largely due to outdated personnel policies. A flow concept of planning, focusing not on individuals but on personnel slots determined by program design, allows for flexibility and reflects the realities of contemporary academic…

Presents a typology of quality-assurance systems for higher education and evaluates the alternatives. Argues that total quality management strategies are best suited to higher education's purpose because the model is internal to the delivery of the service, continuous, and process-oriented, but notes, however, that there are deep, often…

A group of patient-centered comprehensive-care clinics revised its treatment planning system to better accommodate patient needs for information while still serving student needs for instruction and support. (MSE)

Human performance technology (HPT) models are compared. One model groups performance factors by their relation to the performer (internal or external). A second model categorizes factors by which organizational level has the most control over them (executive, managerial, or individual). A third model considers rational and emotional intelligences;…