School leaders are increasingly called upon to pursue meaningful partnerships with families and community groups, yet many leaders are unprepared to meet the challenges of partnerships, to cross cultural boundaries, or to be accountable to the community. Alliances are needed among educators, families, and community groups that value relationship…

Though the number of districts with student-based funding-type (SBF) policies has grown, the literature on the implementation and possible impacts of these policies is limited. To address this, this report describes the implementation of SBF policies in two California school districts--San Francisco Unified School District and Oakland Unified…

Although the move toward implementing technology in higher education is driven by an increasing number of competitors as well as student demand, there is still considerable resistance to embracing it. Adoption of technology requires more that merely installing a product. This paper outlines a framework for a strategic change process that can be…

Student-directed IEPs are quickly gaining momentum in schools across the country--the proven benefits include higher academic achievement, enhanced student motivation, and increased communication and self-advocacy skills for students with disabilities. Now for the first time, there's a book that gives elementary and high school educators in-depth…

Case study methods involve an in-depth, longitudinal examination of a single instance or event. They result in an increased understanding of why the instance happened as it did, and are especially well suited for generating, rather than testing, hypotheses. Six types of case studies are discussed, based on the framework of L. Datta (1990). For…

This report presents findings from case studies conducted during the 2003-04 school year, the second year that the supplemental services provisions of NCLB had been in effect. It follows up on baseline data collected the previous school year. This study conducted interviews in a purposive sample of six states and nine school districts, which were…

Since the Montessori method was introduced in the United States, the original Montessori philosophy has evolved to incorporate many American adaptations. This paper explores how teachers in one Montessori school introduced new elements to the existing principles of Maria Montessori in their classrooms. The case study shows that these teachers have…

The Balanced and Restorative Justice Model (BARJ) outlines an alternative philosophy, "restorative justice," and a new mission that requires juvenile justice professionals to devote attention to enabling offenders to make amends to their victims and the community, increasing offender competencies, and protecting the public through…

Explains "purpose design," a planning and problem-solving strategy involving determination of planning purposes, generation and selection of solutions, specification of solution details, implementation, and evaluation. Describes the application of purpose design to the planning of an alumni association at Black Hawk College, a community…

Findings indicate that bottom-up (practice-based) educational innovations face the same kind of implementation challenges as top-down (theory-based) innovations. This article examines an educational innovation from its practice-based creation to its mandated implementation as public policy, presenting a case study of Advancement Via Individual…

This article discusses the Liaison Infant Family Team (LIFT) project, which employs an ecological approach to intervention promoting congruent relationships among high-risk infants and their families. The guiding principles of the approach are described and evaluated by means of a case study methodology. (Author/DB)

Presented are a literature review, model, and case study for effective local program development for gifted and talented students. The model applies the research on educational change and institutional excellence to the task of developing excellent programs for gifted/talented youth in school districts of various types and sizes. (PB)

This article summarizes recommendations of the Richardson Study regarding a comprehensive approach to programing for gifted students. Basic components of comprehensive programing are outlined, and seven steps deemed essential to program development and implementation are described, as implemented by the Pyramid Project in four school districts in…

Local education authorities in the United Kingdom are drawing up policies for implementing principal evaluation. This article describes three case studies based on observations of three elementary school principals' daily activities. The exercise raised several issues, including the need for a whole school approach, a clearly delineated appraisal…

Describes parents' involvement in implementing a basic-schools initiative that integrates proven best research-based practices for elementary education. Data from individual and focus-group interviews and participant observations show that school personnel and parents engaged in traditional involvement methods as a foundation to involvement in…