It is argued that the failure of change in teacher education results from lack of understanding of the dynamics of change and the organizational features of teacher education, generally subject to external pressure. The role of institutional dimensions of problem solving, decision making, communications, goals, climate, and implementation are…

Developmental assets are a research-based list of the essential building blocks of healthy youth development and comprise the relationships, experiences, and values that youth need to grow up caring, confident, and responsible. In November, 2001, Assets for Colorado Youth (ACY) convened a group of educators, students, and family advocates from the…

This newsletter from the Community College Baccalaureate Association provides research and institutional updates on community college baccalaureate degrees. The first issue introduces the organization and provides a brief description of the highly specialized four-year degrees (applied, workforce degrees) that are designed to meet the needs of…

This newsletter from the Community College Baccalaureate Association (CCBA) provides research and institutional updates on community college baccalaureate degrees. The first issue describes two institutional case studies of community college baccalaureate degree programs. The first, a manufacturing technology baccalaureate degree at Westark…

This research brief examines the potential of technology to further the goals of restructuring U.S. schools. Strategies are presented for restructuring schools with technology. Although restructuring means different things to different people, the restructuring movement has generally focused on reorganizing school processes, taking a…

This report explores the technical, political, and socio-cultural dimensions of the scaling up process of Success for All (SFA), one of the nation's most successful and extensively researched whole-school change models. SFA, a reform effort aimed at elementary schools serving disadvantaged children, is currently being implemented in over 475…

This study used high-profile research on a school district to construct a case study of how a political context that presents urban schools as unsalvageable has also resulted in a research stripped of critique. The study compared published reports about district (District 2) accomplishments to data on school achievement and school demographics on…

How implementation of the middle schools concept affects student attainment of the purposes of middle grades education was studied in Georgia. Focuses were on academic achievement, the cost effectiveness of the Middle School Program, and any modifications needed to improve middle grades education. This study finds that students who attend schools…

This study examined how recent federal, state, and district policies shape the design and implementation of schoolwide programs for Title I students in the Chicago Public Schools (Illinois). Four inner city elementary schools were selected for the study. Two had academic outcomes higher than expected, and the other two had lower academic outcomes…

This plan describes the challenges facing higher education in New York State and the goals devised by the Board of Regents to address these challenges. The Regents publish such a plan covering two-year and four-year public, private and proprietary institutions every eight years. The major challenges facing higher education in New York are: (1) the…

This conference, cosponsored by the NSF and the National Research Council (NRC), focused on developing and implementing strategies for improving undergraduate education in science, math, engineering and technology (SMET). Represented at the conference were various types of 2-year and 4-year institutions, private industry, professional societies,…

"Evaluation of Title I Accountability Systems and School Improvement Efforts: Findings from 2002-03" examines the implementation of Title I accountability systems and school improvement efforts at the state, district and school levels. Based on surveys of all states, a nationally representative sample of districts, and a sample of…

Research literature dealing with the adoption and diffusion of educational innovations is summarized, and factors important in the adoption-implementation process are identified. A framework for assessing factors that may affect implementation and long-term use of health education curriculum innovations is given. (PP)

Drawing on experiences of a Concordia University (Ontario, Canada) task force in considering the teaching portfolio as an instructional evaluation tool, several issues are discussed: the place of teaching in an academic culture; how teaching is and should be evaluated; and possibilities for changing the status quo. Issues in implementation and…

This article presents two case examples of secondary level schools that have successfully included students with mild disabilities throughout the general education program. Both examples indicate that the building of an environment conducive to inclusion takes considerable time and a broad base of faculty and administrative support and commitment.…