Schools are learning organisations. They continuously strive to do better for the children and young people in their charge. In doing so, they try new things, seek to learn from those experiences, and work to adopt and embed the practices that work best. Implementation is a key aspect of what schools do to improve, and yet it is a domain of school…

This Self-Study Guide has been developed to support Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten Providers (VPK) who are required to complete an improvement plan process (i.e., low-performing providers). The guide has sections that can be used during both the process of selecting target areas for an improvement plan and the process of implementing new or…

90-Day Cycles are a disciplined and structured form of inquiry designed to produce and test knowledge syntheses, prototyped processes, or products in support of improvement work. With any type of activity, organizations inevitably encounter roadblocks to improving performance and outcomes. These barriers might include intractable problems at…

Now that federal and state initiatives require school districts to provide job-embedded professional development, the next step is making it happen. This book helps districts define, develop, and implement a systematic inquiry-based process with a laser-like focus on both adult and student learning. This book's inquiry model challenges educators…

The School Improvement Grants (SIG) program is authorized by section 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Under section 1003(g)(1) of the ESEA, the Secretary must award grants to States to enable the States to provide subgrants to local educational agencies for the purpose of providing assistance for school…

The sharing of new ideas for improving library services, a concern of every creative librarian, is the goal of this compilation of 156 novel and nontraditional approaches. The ideas are arranged alphabetically by key thought with a contents listing at the front of the handbook. Some are suitable for public libraries, some for school libraries,…

This self-improvement manual developed for experienced online searchers presents and discusses several alternative search strategies and their appropriate use to achieve the desired outcome. The manual is divided into two parts: (1) an eight step model of the total search process emphasizing how the decision of the information professional affects…

Presents eight noninstructional strategies for improving employees' performance in any organization. These alternatives to instruction include job redesign and reassignment, recruitment, organizational development, facilities and tool redesign, incentive and feedback systems, and provision of a strong rationale for the desired performance so…

As a strategic effort to advance the way schools address barriers to learning and psychosocial concerns, a consistent resource request has been for an example of a formal proposal for new directions (e.g., to present to a Superintendent, Student Support Director, Principal, Board, etc.). This report provides a draft of a design proposal that…

This set of materials contains three manuals and a supplement of programs for instructors and trainees. Part 1 of the Language and Study Skills Manual contains a list of the materials to be covered in the six language skill areas (basic language skills, vocabulary skills, predictionary skills, grammar and usage, letter-writing, and reference and…

This manual was written for the Wisconsin Program for the Renewal and Improvement of Secondary Education (WRISE) to help schools develop their own capability for systematically improving their educative processes from year to year, using existing resources. The program, which has been tested and found effective, indicates general procedures,…

Methods and procedures which should be used by an Advanced Institutional Development Program grantee college in selecting an assisting agency or a consulting firm to provide assistance in the areas of academic program and administrative capacity improvement are recommended and include: (1) the college should devote considerable time and thought to…

This guide provides summaries of federal programs in the physical and mathematical sciences of interest to colleges and universities. Programs from the following federal agencies are included: National Science Foundation; Department of Energy; Environmental Protection Agency; Office of Education; Department of Interior; Smithsonian Institution;…

This tool was created in order to help young people and adults develop a common language for talking about how to improve schools. The tool provides educators, young people, administrators, policy makers, parents, community members and other stake holders with a common lens for reflecting on their schools and for planning change. It can also be…

This manual was written for both health care professionals and community leaders wishing to work together to enhance the availability of culturally appropriate health care services for refugees. The material is also relevant to people who wish to develop the sensitivity and skill needed to serve any culturally diverse clientele. The booklet…