Against the background of a European-wide strategy of governance aimed at improving support for parents and families, the following report details the conceptualization and evaluation of a federal state program in Baden-Württemberg (Germany) which was launched in 2008 to encourage family and parent education. Two program components, a voucher…

Principals are the leverage point for education reforms and the primary drivers of school improvement. A critical part of maintaining a corps of effective principals is rewarding and retaining the best school leaders. Unfortunately, few systems systematically identify principals that make important contributions to student learning or celebrate…

Over the past two decades, community organizing has emerged as an effective force for school improvement. In the context of shrinking education funding, stubborn opportunity and achievement gaps between low-income and wealthy children and between children of color and White children, and polarizing debate on school reform, community organizing…

Urban public schools in the United States face the problem of failure to reach academic goals of performance mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. It was hypothesized that use of Senge's leadership model might result in academic performance in one urban elementary school. Based on Senge's shared vision leadership model as the theoretical…

This article describes a framework for managing the life cycle of knowledge in organizations. The framework emerges from years of work with the laboratories and facilities that are under the direction of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The article begins by describing the instructional systems design (ISD) process and how it is used to…

Chronicles the development of public broadcasting from early attempts to develop noncommercial radio through organizations such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Public Broadcasting Service. Discusses the need for federal support and the resulting conflicts. (JMF)

The aim of NIE is to develop a program of research on teaching, learning, administration, and basic education problems. Explores the birth and growth of this organization and suggests administrators get in on the ground floor of its activities. (Author/JN)

An exploration of some of the relationships between organizational characteristics of a state education agency and the decision making process in federal program administration. The consequences of the structural characteristics of a professional organization for the administration of externally imposed policy are discussed, leading to some…

This fact sheet summarizes responses by 49 states (Massachusetts did not respond) to the General Accounting Office questionnaire on state efforts to integrate human services programs. The questionnaire focused on low income families. Responses to the questionnaire indicate the following: (1) 23 states have integrated all their service delivery…

The reconciliation of federal purposes (to bring change to those who do and those who don't welcome it) with a user-driven system (a system that maximizes user self-determination) is the basic paradox analyzed in this speech. One of the principles of organizational development is that unless the individual's perceived self-interest can be engaged,…

Total quality management (TQM) is based on the fundamental philosophy that it is always more effective to do something right the first time than it is to correct deficiencies. It seeks to improve quality and increase customer satisfaction by restructuring traditional management and organizational practices. Common characteristics of TQM include…

This monograph describes the origins and implementation of a Federal educational program, the Inquiry and Assistance Project (IAP), designed to improve urban public schools through the efforts of researchers and consultants in a research and development setting. The first section provides background information on the IAP study. Section two…

This resource manual is designed to assist new and veteran board members in becoming effective and meaningful contributors to the community mental health center (CMHC) program. The materials summarize the growth and development of the CMHC concept and the services required by law and address the process of building and organizing the…

The publication outlines procedures to insure youth involvement in planning, operating, monitoring, and evaluating Youth Development Programs (YDPs) which provide educational, employment, leadership, and other experiences for disadvantaged youth. The programs are funded by the Office of Economic Opportunity through local Community Action Agencies…

This report highlights initiatives and accomplishments of the National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Resource Center on Cultural Competency and a related consortium of 12 states and the District of Columbia from October 1992 through September 1995. Following an introductory section, the first chapter focuses on the role of the National MCH…