This paper seeks to better understand how community colleges in Florida planned to implement a new sweeping state policy pertaining to developmental education. Via a cluster analysis, we identify three distinct patterns in the ways in which the colleges responded to the policy: reformers, responders, and resisters. Further, we find that these…

Despite the popularity of planned change efforts, the failure rates of implementation are as high as 50 to 70 percent (Lewis & Seibold, 1998). While these efforts are affected by technical issues, the organizations' approach to change, structure, technological capabilities, and organizational culture and communication practices are…

This article presents the evaluation findings of an education policy initiative that involved the employment of facilitators to broker the policy and its implementation. An Australian state's education authority piloted the employment of physical activity facilitators to expedite the implementation of "Smart Moves" in schools, a…

The Common Core of Standards project has strong national support, but it will not succeed if it doesn't involve teachers in grassroots development activities. The initiative should involve local consortia of schools in working with the new standards, assessments, and support tools. Local teachers would design teaching units and then share these…

Virtual work environments (VWEs) have been used in the private sector for more than a decade, but the United States Marine Corps (USMC), as a whole, has not yet taken advantage of associated benefits. The USMC construct parallels the bureaucratic organizational culture and uses an antiquated information technology (IT) infrastructure. During an…

Describes project that provided technical assistance to elementary and secondary teachers at six sites while collecting data on problems encountered and educators' evolving concepts of alternative assessment. Key difficulties in understanding were teachers' focus on classroom activities rather than student goals, uncertainty about specifying…

Discusses ways in which educational technologists can help educators accept changes in schools that are occurring through the use of technology. Characteristics of people involved in change are described; and a framework for implementing innovations is presented, including supportive organizational arrangements, training, consultation and…

This Digest examines the key issues surrounding the implementation of schoolwide reform. It discusses how whole-school reform results can be dramatic but that schools must take special care with implementing the reforms. It examines the importance of outside assistance in reform efforts and reports that design teams are typically used by schools…

Examines why an innovative math curriculum promoted by the math department chair was ultimately rejected by teachers. By the second year, faculty ill will, mistrust, and resentment had begun to undermine the math department's ability to function. Wider participation in the adoption effort was needed. (Contains 16 references.) (MLH)

Uses explanatory case studies to examine three midwestern secondary schools' adoption of inclusion, based on Michael Fullan's views concerning the principal's pivotal role in school reform efforts. Findings support Fullan's perspectives and indicate lack of understanding about inclusion. Although the schools claimed to have implemented inclusive…

Based on a survey of Quality Management (QM) practitioners at 21 colleges, this study presents the 10 most difficult implementation hurdles to QM in higher education and a set of hurdle-clearing strategies. The hurdles are: (1) lack of time to implement QM; (2) perception that QM is something for janitorial and housing staffs but not applicable to…

Examines the teacher as a change agent when implementing a first-year, K-2 multicultural literacy learning program. A case study focuses on a kindergarten teacher's experiences and examines the program's development, the changes that occurred in classroom practice and home-school communication, and school staff resistance to change. (GR)

Evaluation of problems in implementing inclusion of students with mild to moderate mental impairment in general education classes of a suburban middle school identified lessons such as the following: (1) allow sufficient resources to the project; (2) provide active leadership by individuals with positive attitudes; and (3) convince the staff that…

Examines the degree to which the classroom practice of one veteran cooperating teacher reflected prevailing multicultural theory and determines some of the factors which influenced that practice. Also discussed are the obstacles the teacher faced, which reflected a school culture in conflict over issues of race and multicultural education. (GR)

Traces development and implementation of a 4-day school week at an Alberta junior high school that extended the school day 40 minutes, resulted in more classes taught in a shorter time period, and decreased student discipline problems. Describes parent and community reactions. Includes recommendations for planning educational change. (LP)