How do we begin to assess the reciprocal impacts--or lack thereof--of community service on individuals and communities? Community engagement initiatives are increasingly valued as powerful educational tools and vehicles for social change. Yet, the task of measuring their outcomes remains complex. This article outlines core considerations in…

This handbook provides a global overview of the design, implementation and assessment of academic development centers within higher education institutions. The current nature of our complex, rapidly changing world makes it imperative that colleges and universities worldwide find ways to educate their students in new and better ways: this is…

The purpose of this Action Research study was to understand and enhance the perceived efficacy of micro-credentialing and digital badging for K-12 educators within a large urban school district. Cycle 1 of this research engaged over 150 educators and included 14 semi-structured interviews, seeking to identify the primary reasons for engaging…

Intercultural initiatives have become a major focal point in higher education in recent years. Many initiatives have ambitious learning outcomes, but few metrics for evaluating success. This is due to the hidden ethical/moral curriculum embedded within them. In this study, intercultural initiatives are examined through a hybrid…

The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to examine if there is a significant difference in mean moral judgment levels of first year undergraduate students after participating in a character development program at a non-traditional program in a university in the southwestern United States. This study included new non-traditional…

While universities across the globe differ in their assessment practices and processes, program assessment has become a foundation for policy makers, universities, and other stakeholders to demonstrate the quality of their programs. Globally, there are 550 accreditation/quality assurance bodies in 170 countries. The purpose of this study was to…

'Working in partnership to transform society through education' is the inspirational mission statement of our Faculty of Education. But what can and does 'working in partnership' mean in practice? This paper outlines a partnership development story with a charity and a university Faculty. There is limited research surrounding academic partnerships…

This paper responds to Berkowitz, Bier, and McCauley's description of effective features and practices that support character development by pushing on the question of "how" child and youth environments might "build character." Acknowledging the challenges of drawing on program evaluations and extant studies of character…

Project Tomorrow® designed and implemented an online survey in spring 2021 to collect both quantitative and qualitative feedback from Summit Learning teachers nationwide. The goal with the data collection effort was to better understand teachers' lived experiences with Summit Learning and how Summit Learning benefits both teachers and students.…

This article draws on qualitative evidence from an evaluation of the "Greater Tomorrow" Crèche and Ballyhaunis Community Preschool in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, Ireland in 2016. The article focuses on the approach to practice and the underlying ethos of these two services, reflecting a clearly articulated respect for diversity and the…

The future of public school performance demands that states and districts actively develop and seek strong principals. Instructional leadership is the critical element that is missing in efforts to improve America's lowest-performing schools and in moving good schools to great schools. Turnover among principals currently is at an unsustainable…

University early childhood programs attempt to balance a traditional tri-part mission: service to children and families; professional development of caregivers/teachers, clinicians, and researchers; and research on child development, learning, and/or education. Increasingly, infants receive care and education on university campuses, yet little is…

The purpose of this research was to determine how teachers and administrators in a successful North Carolina district perceived the purpose and value of a school improvement plan (SIP) and the planning process. The SIP is the accepted best practice for school-wide improvement, and the perceptions of the purpose and value of the process…

These three papers were presented at a symposium on human resource development (HRD) in selected nations moderated by Alan Mumford at the 1996 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development. "Perspectives of United States Expatriates in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France on Expatriation and the Role of Their Sponsoring…

This practicum involved the development, implementation, and evaluation of a program which used a bibliotherapeutic approach to develop specific behaviors with three second graders and seven fifth graders, all in a resource program for students with emotional handicaps. A needs assessment survey of mainstream teachers identified needs in the…