The speaker briefly profiles the District of Columbia Public School system, describes how the district organized to introduce performance-based education, and outlines the administrative structure supporting the program. (IRT)

A study attempted to specify a set of attributes of innovations and explore the extent to which these attributes have general utility in accounting for acceptance of innovations. It was hypothesized that (1) it should be possible to select the best predictors of acceptance of innovations from among the set of attribute variables and (2) attributes…

Two factors predominate in determining the appropriateness of strategic plans for management information systems (MIS)--explicitness (the degree to which the process is conscious, formal, and documented) and situational fit (the degree to which the MIS is compatible with the specific organization and its members). (Author/IRT)

Two research traditions in communication are compared: the Adoption-Diffusion tradition and the Hermeneutic-Dialectic tradition. The former has been concerned with innovations, while the latter has been concerned with texts. These are compared on eight background assumptions: ontology, language, intentionality, understanding, communications model,…

Two groups of children of the same biological mothers were compared. The study found that the adopted children failure rates are far below those of the control group, and almost equal to those expected solely on the basis of the social class of their adoptive parents. (Author/GA)

Describes children's picture books, children's stories, and young adult novels which deal with interracial marriage, interracial adoption, and interracial families. (DD)

Because of the learning experiences of thousands of school leaders during the last decade, the guidelines presented are more likely to lead contemporary educators to successful implementation rather than to reactionary upheaval or paper pretense. (Author/IRT)

According to the respondents (state department of education personnel), mainstreaming activities have progressed significantly since 1971, with only a relative minority, roughly one-fifth, of the districts lagging behind the others. (Author)

Examines several possible models of public policy diffusion, then presents and illustrates the use of a technique for identifying clusters of similar policies on the bases of their diffusion patterns. Available from: American Political Science Association, 1527 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036; $10.50 single copy. (JG)

Successful adoption of zero-base budgeting (ZBB) will be greater than that of planning-programming-budgeting-systems (PPBS) because perceived problems inherent in PPBS are largely missing in ZBB; ZBB appears to fit current school district budgeting behavior; and ZBB seems to improve communication about the need for budget reform. (Author/IRT)

Discusses the educational potential of interactive videodisc technology in terms of: (1) training applications; (2) evaluation of effectiveness; (3) advantages of interactivity; (4) design considerations; (5) courseware development and cost considerations; and (6) teacher acceptability. Fifty-two references are provided. (MES)

The authors apply many of the factors that appear to be important to the successful determination and adoption of clinical and developmental innovations in analyses of their own efforts to train professionals and paraprofessionals in the use of sociomoral reasoning developmental programs for the treatment and prevention of delinquency and serious…

Considers the medical importance for adoptees of not knowing their family history. Notes the problems adoptees face when others misunderstand their need for information on their background. Points out that the search for background has both intellectual and emotional components for adoptees. (SKC)