In recent years, governmental policy changes have exerted significant impact on the structural transformation, role diversity and commercialisation of national quality assurance agencies in many nations. Due to policy change, ongoing structural transformation and emerging roles, four national quality assurance agencies in Australia, Japan,…

There is a new state education policy concept termed either innovation zones or districts of innovation. State education agencies interested in shifting their role from enforcing compliance to one of supporting innovation and building capacity in districts are working to spur new innovative instructional models and create space for…

Teacher preparation plays a critical role in ensuring that teachers are prepared to lead and impact student learning from the first day they are responsible for student learning. The best way to ensure that every teacher is "profession-ready" from their first day as a teacher-of-record is for preparation programs to incorporate teacher…

This study evaluated a continuing education training program designed to increase field educators' capacities to support students in their application of the evidence-based practice (EBP) process. A cohort of social work field instructors and task supervisors from agency-based settings (N = 186) attended a 1-day interactive skill-based training.…

This project examines how eight state education agencies engaged the charge of improving their lowest-performing schools. The states examined are among the most active and intentional in this regard. In many ways, they are at the leading edge of what could eventually become 50 different experiments in performance management. By focusing on states…

Strategies for increasing evaluation research leverage are reviewed. Alignment of evaluation research with regulatory bodies with authority to suspend public program expenditures is advocated. Several likely obstacles in the development of the regulatory evaluation model are anticipated and addressed. (Author/RL)

Discusses the development of family centers in Great Britain by statutory and voluntary organizations. Includes a brief historical overview of family centers, current center models in practice, and issues related to centers. (RJC)

This paper responds to a request asking for a Response to Intervention (RtI) background information and a scan of what states are doing in this area. This paper presents summaries that provide basic information about the status of state RtI initiatives in each of the southeastern states. The information was collected from State Education Agency…

Develops a model of interorganizational conflict (both structural, which involves rules that govern a relationship, and operating, which involves the interpretation and application of such rules) that incorporates key aspects of the organizational interface, explaining conflict on the basis of similarities and differences among the interacting…

A model is presented for treating complex child abuse cases involving different agencies. The model proposes five stages in processing cases: interagency cross referral, joint case conferences, allocation of treatment responsibilities, simultaneous treatment, and formal joint periodic reassessment. Analyzing the dynamics at each stage can help…

Because state agencies have found that the licensing of family day care homes presents administrative problems which are quite different from the licensing of day care centers this report presents arguments against traditional licensing practices. Six alternatives are suggested for states making decisions about their future directions in family…

Locality development, social planning, and social action are three types of social change models examined in terms of how they might better serve the elderly as a political force. Political education and political action for and by the elderly are recommended as appropriate areas for social welfare agency involvement. (LH)

It's a familiar situation: Your counseling intuition tells you to do one thing and your employing institution tells you to do another. Here's a procedure for bringing this dissonance into harmony. (Author)

A model is provided for local schools to follow in developing a cooperative and active agreement with the local vocational rehabilitation agency. Information is provided from a joint memorandum from the Commissioners of Education and Rehabilitation Services at the federal level to assist local educational agencies in developing their own policies…

In the spring of 1971, top priority was placed on the systematic planning and evaluation of Federal programs operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The needs assessment was viewed as the process of ascertaining the decision areas of concern. This was accomplished by establishing potential educational goals or objectives, determining which…