The National Diffusion Network was initiated in 1974 by the United States Office of Education (USOE). Thirty states developed state facilitators the first year and 36 states had facilitators the second year. Among the facilitators in the network, there appears to be considerable difference in the approaches that are taken to diffuse the projects…

The need for and use of internal consultants by many organizations and institutions is growing because of the rapid pace of environmental and technological change and the growth in the quantity of knowledge. Although much has been written about consulting roles, competencies and skills needed by consultants, and the use of consultants in various…

The author describes her experiences as linking agent in aiding four local Massachusetts schools to examine, choose, and implement innovative reading programs. A process rather than content expert, her task was to organize existing, widespread support for change within the schools and to work with both the principals and a multiconstituent…

The Pennsylvania School Improvement Program (PSIP) was created to assist local schools and school districts in the development of curriculum improvement strategies. The process involves the use of "linkers," curriculum specialists who work with teams from the local level to ascertain needs, then connect the local teams with the research…

Suggestions are made for helping project managers aid educational linking agents in acquiring new skills or sharpening existing skills. These tentative suggestions are grouped into five categories: (l) skill/knowledge domains; (2) setting priorities; (3) choosing among options; (4) selecting trainers; (5) resources. Skill/knowledge priorities…

A description is given of the organization and operation of a network of persons who work together to accomplish the following six educational goals: (1) diagnose problems that impair student performance in the basic skills and other areas; (2) link schools with the best available educational programs to meet their needs; (3) link schools with…

The Pennsylvania School Improvement Program (PSIP) was created to assist local schools and school districts in the development of curriculum improvement strategies. The process involves the use of "linkers," curriculum specialists who work with teams from the local level to ascertain needs, then connect the local teams with the research…

The first part of a 3-part guide developed as a resource for people involved in the selection and implementation of new programs in school settings, this overview describes a wide range of linking agent roles and skills, and discusses training and support mechanisms for linking agents. Chapters address (1) the assumptions underlying the overview,…

The second part of a 3-part guide developed as a resource for people involved in the selection and implementation of new programs in school settings, this collection of articles covers such topics as consultation, educational change, and linking processes. The following readings are included: "Behavior of Innovative Personnel," by Gary…

The third part of a 3-part guide developed as a resource for people involved in the selection and implementation of new programs in school settings, this examination of each phase of the linking agent's work contains articles and papers by more than 30 authors and is organized according to six stages: (1) initiating the relationship with the…

Compiled from papers written by project linkers after they spent two and one-half years working with schools, this report describes the Northwest Reading Consortium, a program linking schools in Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and Oregon with research and development (R&D) resources for improving reading instruction. The function of the linking…

The eight papers in this book summarize discussions and recommendations by participants in a 1977 conference that focused on three topics: definitions of linking functions and roles; coordination of dissemination and linking activities; and support needs of linking agents, including options for providing support. Each of the chapters provides…

The Pennsylvania School Improvement Program (PSIP) was initiated to develop and demonstrate curriculum improvement strategies in basic skills areas at the local school level in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Education and several research and development agencies. The PSIP process is a problem-solving method with five major steps:…

The Pennsylvania School Improvement Program (PSIP) was created to assist local schools and school districts in the development of curriculum improvement strategies. The process involves the use of "linkers," curriculum specialists who work with teams from the local level to ascertain needs, then connect the local teams with the research…

The Pennsylvania School Improvement Program (PSIP) was created to assist local schools and school districts in the development of curriculum improvement strategies. The process involves the use of "linkers," curriculum specialists who work with teams from the local level to ascertain needs, then connect the local teams with the research…