The Institute for Education and Social Policy assessed the relationship between standards-based reform and the charter school movement in four states: Texas, Massachusetts, California, and Louisiana. These states were selected because they are the focus of other projects sponsored by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and because, as a group,…

This paper examines changes in school administration over the past 15 years. Five sections explore the ferment in educational administration and focus on the causes of unrest in the field. It looks at key markers on the path to reform in the academic arm of the profession; major changes in the profession, in general, and in the way school leaders…

This paper focuses on issues related to library personnel in the British academic library. A background discussion on staff salaries, decreases in funding and increases in availability of information in more electronic formats, and the print culture and the electronic library leads to a statement of the need for increased information technology…

This document consists of the two 1999 issues of a semiannual newsletter that provides current information and research on leadership and administrative issues in early childhood education. The Spring 1999 issue compares elementary schools and child care centers with regard to investments made in the professional development of teachers. The…

The Office of Institutional Research at Johnson County Community College (JCCC), Kansas, conducted a survey to help determine the level of interest in Internet training courses. Surveys were mailed in November 1998 to 9,982 individuals selected from six lists representing the JCCC Business and Industry Division's current and potential clients. A…

Educators concerned with the preparation of adults are aware that students engage in lengthy discussions with their peers. Increasingly, this is encouraged in educational settings through formal pedagogy. However, little is known about its value to adult cognition. In a phenomenological study investigating the professional development of degree…

An instrument to evaluate the effectiveness of constructivist teaching methods, the Constructivist Teaching Inventory (CTI), was developed and assessed, the assessment focusing on the validity and reliability of the instrument. A pool of items measuring the presence of identified elements of constructivist teaching was developed; items were…

The Austin Collaborative for Mathematics Education (ACME) is a systemwide initiative to improve mathematics education in all elementary and middle school classrooms in the Austin Independent School District (AISD), Texas. The initiative, funded by the National Science Foundation, provides long-term, high quality professional development to build…

This paper reports on a leadership institute for library staff at Stanford University (California) and the California State Library that had the goal of elevating the quality of services libraries and related bodies provide to information users in the 21st century through development of library leaders and managers and by increasing the…

This document serves as a supportive tool for school counselors and their programs. It focuses on counseling issues and ideas, and has a particular emphasis on ideas for best practice. It also serves an important role in promoting the school counseling profession. This issue includes the following articles: (1) "Effective Counseling…

The purpose of this study was to develop a model of a mentoring program for first year media specialists by exploring existing examples. Qualitative methods were employed in conducting this research. A document review was undertaken to establish accepted mentoring program guidelines. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with coordinators of…

In September 2001, 37 educational researchers, assessment specialists, and practitioners from around the world gathered in England for a 3-day conference on assessment focusing on assessments developed and used by teachers day-to-day in the classroom. The meeting was structured to permit the development of ideas and strategies for bringing…

This document provides feedback on the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) consultation (questionnaire responses about professional development in higher education) and invites higher education institutions to apply for special funding to support the development and implementation of human resource strategies. Responses to the…

This report discusses the effects of the "competing values" of community college administrators and faculty members on faculty evaluation programs. College administrators and faculty often have different perceptions about why an appraisal process is implemented. Community college administrators share a belief that their institutions should be…

This staff development guide with accompanying videotape is designed to assist early years staff using "A Curriculum Framework for Children 3 to 5" in Scotland to assess children's progress. The program is comprised of activities to stimulate discussion among colleagues, affirm existing good practice, give time for reflection, and…