High-quality care in the earliest years of life has been shown to relate to positive developmental outcomes for children, including improved early academic skills, social-emotional competencies, and cognitive functioning. Unfortunately, the early care experiences of many children are not always high quality; rather, research suggests that…

In November 2004, State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick convened the Maryland Social Studies Task Force. The Task Force was charged with examining issues related to social studies education and recommending ways to improve social studies instruction in Maryland's public schools. The Task Force formed four Subcommittees, each examining…

The principal coordinates curriculum change in the public schools. Critical features of effective curriculum implementation are open communication, a strong staff development program, and daily encouragement and support of faculty members. Planning and organization, financial support, and human support are among the principal's significant…

Researchers, teachers, and administrators involved in educationally innovative projects in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland were questioned concerning problems in curriculum innovation. The author states that curricular changes are dependent on sociodynamic processes and concludes that social and subject-specific consultation and interaction…

The Delphi technique was used for improvement of the office administration program at Mount Saint Vincent University (Nova Scotia). The technique made it possible to obtain opinions from five diverse groups at relatively low cost and effort. The study determined that the program should focus more on office technology and information management…

Discusses the role of organizational communication in the process of curricular reform at eight medical schools participating in a large-scale medical curriculum development project, particularly during four stages of change: recognizing the need for change; planning; implementation; institutionalization. Communication strategies for promoting a…

While curriculum development can be difficult, implementation of changes can be equally problematic. However, implementation of a new program offers many opportunities for campus renewal and curriculum development, reevaluation of academic and administrative practices, and enhancement of community and institutional relationships. (MSE)

This paper describes some of the historical background for current practices in local curriculum development, the major participants and their roles in local curriculum development, some of the processes involved, and the major conditions necessary for successful local development. Using a broad literature base of both published and unpublished…

This essay presents an approach to substantial and long-range curriculum change in three stages: planning, implementation, and evaluation. Planning, to which three quarters of the paper is devoted, is defined as a deliberate, collaborative, continuous process of determining and providing for the most effective manner to implement a change. The…

Reflects on the collective experiences of eight medical schools participating in a large-scale medical curriculum development project, highlighting lessons learned over five years and commenting on issues of leadership, governance, communication, faculty development, curriculum integration, instructional methods, student assessment, and program…