Data-based decision making has been the mantra of the school reform movement since the late 1980s, but California does not yet have an effective system for collecting and using vital school information. California has taken a number of steps to address this shortcoming. These include the Public School Accountability Act of 1999 and Senate bills…

Although behavior analysis relies primarily on visual inspection for interpreting data, previous research shows that the method of display can influence the judgments. In the current study, 26 Board-Certified Behavior Analysts reviewed two data sets displayed on each of three methods--equal-interval graphs, tables, and Standard Celeration…

The successful development and implementation of an electronic resources management (ERM) system depends on an undertaking that includes many key factors. Some of these key factors include determining user groups and their needs, evaluating implementation and technical issues, testing the system, exploring how the system will be used, setting…

This report offers comprehensive information about the current capabilities of statewide higher education student data systems including the scope of these systems, what information is collected, and how information is used. The report provides analysis of student tracking systems and data sharing across agencies. It addresses protection of the…

This digest, based on a larger report of the same title, summarizes principles for improving quality in higher education institutions. Emphasis is on the effect of the principles when they are used holistically to create a culture of academic excellence. The quality principles are based on the conceptual framework of total quality management (TQM)…

The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD), in California, is a multi-college district in which many students cross-enroll in two or more colleges. Beginning in 1978, the District began efforts to align courses and programs across the individual colleges, including the implementation of districtwide accreditation and procedures related to…

Activities of the Special Issues Analysis Center (SIAC), a technical support center providing assistance to the Department of Education in serving the needs of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students through the Bilingual Education Act of 1988, are summarized. In the third year of its contract, SIAC performed these services: creation of a…

An automated library system usually consists of a number of functional modules, such as acquisitions, circulation, cataloging, serials, and an online public access catalog (OPAC). An "integrated" library system is an automated system in which all of the function modules share a common bibliographic database. There are several ways the…

The GENESYS (GENeric Evaluation SYStem) evaluation system of the Austin, Texas school system is described, and its second year of operation--1989-90--is reviewed. GENESYS is a method of streamlining data collection and evaluation through the use of computer technology. It gathers and reports the following standard information on specified groups…

A computer assisted instructional program was developed for teaching data processing technicians at Naval Recruiting Command in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to create database records using CONDOR Database Management System Software. The procedure used in developing the program was based upon the Dick and Carey model of instructional…

In recent years the use of computers to carry out a range of tasks in the planning and management of educational buildings has proliferated. In June 1988, the Programme on Educational Building arranged a meeting of experts from 13 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries whose objectives were to identify: (1) the…

The school business administration function in the operation of American schools has undergone dramatic changes during the past several years. Changing demographics, high technology, the movement to professionalize school administration, and changes by the legislative and judicial systems have all had significant impact on the character of school…

Management issues, guidelines, policies, and procedures for implementing a statewide plan in Oregon for improving secondary school special education and transition programs for students with mild or severe disabilities are described. An overview is given of the development of the plan, including discussion of: background events; general underlying…

This learning unit on organization systems is one in the Choice Series, a self-learning development program for supervisors. Purpose stated for the approximately eight-hour-long unit is to enable the supervisor to distinguish between responsibility and authority and see how they relate to each other, understand how responsibility and authority are…

This study examines the effects of task arrangements and management systems on student engagement rates. It is argued that the complexity of classroom arrangements influences the form and content of management systems, and that management decisions impact levels of student engagement. Intensive observation of 63 third and fourth grade students…