Identifying a topic for a dissertation is widely considered to be one of the most important, challenging, and stressful parts of the research process. Students often find it difficult to navigate this early yet pivotal stage due to heightened pressures, a lack of structural guidance, increased independence, and more pressing time constraints. In…

The Head Start National Reporting System (NRS) exemplified an assessment system where significant ambiguity existed regarding its purpose(s). This article considers the perceived purposes of the NRS from a local program perspective through observations and interviews with staff members during the 2004-2005 school year. This study found that a…

Although the writing-across-the-curriculum (WAC) movement has grown to be one of the most successful education reform movements in the United States, long-term strategies for sustaining WAC programs are needed and they must include recognizing and using context as a survival tool. Writing across the Business Disciplines (WABD) was started at…

Study goals were to identify and evaluate the impact of fellowships awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts to visual artists and to provide information to help the Endowment in planning, policy development, and resource allocation for the fellowship category. Information was collected in three ways. Questionnaires were sent to 50% of all…

The second half of a two part survey dealing with available programed instructional materials, and the use of these materials in schools is reported in this volume. The information will assist the potential user of programed materials in handling the parameters with which he is most apt to be concerned: cost, size of experimental population, most…

Discusses synchronic induction", a new way for executives to analyze a plan for elusive and intangible qualitative factors crucial to the success of large scale programs of human resource and community development, as has been developed at Columbia University's Teachers College. (Author)

A study was undertaken of organization development (OD) programs, from the point of view of the organization members who plan and conduct them, to gain information for meaningful planning by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). A questionnaire was returned by 103 of 450 randomly selected OD practitioners. Most respondents had…

An evaluation is presented of two inservice courses on computer science designed to help teachers achieve computer literacy. Positive changes in teachers' attitudes toward computers were noted as well as gains in functional knowledge and computer literacy. There was little or no change in teachers' priorities for computer use, program expansion,…

Teacher researchers may be the essential link between the philosophy and training of higher education and the grass roots implementation at the public school level. The Teacher-Researcher (T-R) Institute has the potential of providing a catalyst for role change and a channel for research in action. This paper describes the merits and defaults of…

To determine the appropriateness of courses and programs offered to teacher education students at the University of Southern Mississippi, an annual follow-up of graduates is conducted. Each first year teacher in a sample from the total group is treated in the following manner in order to get needed information. First, a teacher education faculty…

To determine the appropriateness of courses and programs offered to teacher education students at the University of Southern Mississippi, an annual follow-up of graduates is conducted. Each first year teacher in a sample from the total group is treated in the following manner to get needed information. First, a teacher education faculty member…

A project was conducted to (1) determine the potential for serving more and a greater variety of students in New Hampshire's secondary vocational centers through individualized instruction techniques, (2) clarify associated terminology and concepts, (3) study teacher, student, and administrator attitudes towards individualized instruction, and (4)…

This report synthesizes the information presented at three conferences designed to develop guidelines for future funding for Follow Through programs. These conferences were part of a series of activities undertaken by the National Institute of Education (NIE) in 1981 to plan for a new set of Follow Through research and pilot project activities.…

Several years ago the Virginia Department of Education provided grants to local school districts for several pilot programs addressing the problem of truancy and disruptive behavior by students. Six promising programs selected from these pilot projects, and eight additional programs not originally funded through the Virginia grants, were examined…

Describes how, over two years, a steering committee at Cherokee Lane Elementary School (Maryland), which was intended to plan, implement, and evaluate an elementary guidance program, dealt with problems of discrepant perceptions of children's needs by children, parents, and teachers. (MH)