This paper identifies approaches, challenges, and best practices related to planning and designing today's academic library learning spaces. As part of the Project Information Literacy (PIL) Practitioner Series, qualitative data is presented from 49 interviews conducted with a sample of academic librarians, architects, and library consultants.…

This article describes the efforts funded by the state of Colorado to address unacceptably high rates of expulsion from child care. Based on the results of a 2006 survey, the state of Colorado launched two complementary policy initiatives in 2009 to impact expulsion rates and to improve the use of evidence-based practices related to challenging…

University educators (UEs) have a long history of teaching physics not only in formal classroom settings but also in informal outreach environments. The pedagogical practices of UEs in informal physics teaching have not been widely studied, and they may provide insight into formal practices and preparation. We investigate the interactions between…

This report describes the impact of nurse consultant services to child care programs in Colorado on the children, parents, and staff of the centers they serve as part of the Healthy Child Care Colorado (HCCC) initiative. Study participants included 25 child care center directors and 24 nurse consultants, representing large and small centers in…

Organizational capacity refers to the ability of nonprofit organizations to fulfill their missions in an effective manner. Through the JVA Consulting Colorado Compassion Initiative, a comprehensive, capacity-building program was developed and provided for faith- and community-based organizations. This study examined faith-based organizations'…

When Governor Roy Romer challenged Colorado's 20 largest districts to undergo performance audits, 12 responded. Consultants recommended that districts provide more market-sensitive salaries, privatize certain functions, cross-train personnel, and create job flexibility. Districts can improve overall efficiency by generating accurate operational…

The traditional governance culture in which most school boards function contributes to role confusion. Most board policies focus more on operational concerns than on governance. Several Colorado boards have applied John Carver's Policy Governance model to define their parameters. A sidebar summarizes (positive) results of two superintendency…

In Colorado, a project was developed to teach participants a collaborative planning process for staff development and to assist in the design of a system of personnel development. Areas covered included: (1) selection of cadre members; (2) participation; (3) program design; and (4) consultants' reflections. (JN)

Describes the context, content, and extent of organizational development in a suburban school district and discusses keys to the success of this work, pitfalls encountered, and needs that have not been met. (AM)

This guide to Colorado education consultants was compiled for parent educators from local education agencies, shelters for the homeless, volunteer organizations, and the Colorado Department of Education. The guide is a directory of individuals available as speakers or instructors for meetings, conferences, workshops, seminars, and inservice…

This study examined preferences for consultation models and styles among 67 professionals who worked in early intervention programs in Colorado. Participants preferred a collaborative approach involving shared responsibility across all stages of the consultation process and a directive style of sharing specific strategies to address the concerns…

The purpose of Project ACCESS is to increase the capacity to provide information resources to aid educational decision-making and problem-solving, thereby leading to improved education in Colorado schools. This report presents a set of data pertinent to the evaluation of Project ACCESS during its first year of operation with value judgments…

This article describes how a rural community in Colorado developed the infrastructure to provide a family-centered, culturally competent array of early childhood mental health services that are integrated into existing community-based programs. The Early Childhood Health/Education Outreach (ECHO) and Family Center Early Childhood Council's…

THIS REPORT IS AN EVALUATION OF A SCHOOL-COMMUNITY PROJECT ESTABLISHED IN 1953 (1) TO GUIDE THE SPANISH-NAMED POPULATION IN DENVER IN DEVELOPING SELF-HELP AND COMMUNAL ORGANIZATIONS AND TO SERVE AS A CONSULTANT TO CITY AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL IN PROMOTING INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING AND COOPERATION. DATA WERE GATHERED BY OPINIONNAIRES,…

This article examines two programs chosen by the Early Head Start National Resource Center (EHSNRC) Pathways to Prevention (PTP) initiative to participate in a study of their mental health services. Both Wyoming's The Learning Center and Colorado's Developmental Opportunities found that working with the PTP mental health consultant catalyzed…