The author suggests that we need to build national systems which allow any school district to plug into the most sophisticated sources of information in such a way that they get knowledge and materials which are relevant and timely and truly cost beneficial." (Author/AK)

This paper describes one component of the Study of Dissemination Efforts Supporting School Improvement, which focused on the role that external facilitators play in helping schools implement new educational practices. The first part describes the external facilitator sample (95 respondents) and delineates the major formal role groups of external…

Change agents are those who introduce innovations into a society or organization. Their function and method has been studied in various cultures and professions, and this book applies those findings to schools. It is addressed both to administrators and to "change agents working from below." After presenting four case studies of change agents in…

The introduction which precedes the two major sections of this position paper discusses the baseline and causes of educational change and some policy alternatives for Federal support of dissemination activities. Following this, part I of the body of the paper offers a statement describing the National Institute of Education's (NIE) program thrust…

In this guide to the process of innovation in education, the author does not suggest what changes should be made, nor does he recommend specific innovations, but he does provide information on how successful innovation takes place and how those who facilitate planned change or planned innovations (change agents) can organize their work to insure…