Based on analyses and recommendations reported in School Improvement Planning: What's Missing?, the present report proposes ways to (a) reorganize school improvement guidance and (b) expand standards and accountability to encompass a component to address barriers to learning and teaching. In doing so, the work highlights the need and a focus for…

This publication reports on the fall 1997 conference of the Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory (McREL). It provides an account of the keynote sessions and concurrent sessions, a bibliography of published works related to each session, and summaries of other portions of the conference. The keynote sessions included: (1)…

A four-phase systematic approach to evaluating human resource development (HRD) programs and/or courses was developed. The approach consists of four distinct, yet interrelated phases: select evaluation targets; develop the evaluation plan; collect and analyze information/data; and prepare an evaluation report. First, 23 potential evaluation…

An instructional systems approach to learning draws on principles of instructional design and development but also draws from theories such as behaviorism, information processing, cognitive theory, adult education, and systems theory among others. This paper focuses on how instructional designers can benefit from awareness of different adult…

This paper presents an alternative, nonlinear view of technology adoption among teachers participating in The WEB Project, a Technology Innovation Challenge Grant. It is based on a number of new theories, including activity and systems theory, and upon previous evaluations of large scale educational technology programs by RMC Research Corporation,…

In response to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), "Systems for State Science Assessment" explores the ideas and tools that are needed to assess science learning at the state level. This book provides a detailed examination of K-12 science assessment: looking specifically at what should be measured and how to measure it. Along…

Explains the differences between systemic and linear approaches to behavior, and provides examples of how the school-based consultant can intervene from a systems perspective, using interviews, short-term family counseling, and teacher consultation. Issues and cautions about using a systemic approach are presented. (Author)

Successful collegiate master planning requires several conditions: readiness in the form of participants' attitudes, time and dollar resources, and the mission review cycle; clarified uses for the mission review; organization for self-study; determination of participants' roles; information and analytical support; alignment of communication…

Describes the advantages of an ecological and active approach to classroom management, presents an analysis of how such an approach might be developed, and discusses several issues which need to be addressed in order to improve classroom management. Twenty-nine references are listed. (Author/CHC)

The section on personnel preparation contains two articles--"Teachers-in-Training Conduct Field Trips for Special Class Students" by S. Squires and "A State-Wide, Inservice Project for Special Needs Personnel" by G. Markel and others. (SB)

Reviews the present status of computer-managed instruction systems (CMI) and computer-assisted instruction (CAI) applications in elementary and secondary schools, and examines the computer's ability to individualize instruction. Some speculations about the future of computers in public education are offered. (RAO)

This annotated bibliography lists 29 journal articles and publications which deal with recent professional developments in the field of teacher education. (JN)

To understand the processes of learning and to make educational decisions for the future, three levels of environmental and historical context need to be considered. The microsystem represents the most immediate environment, the family; the exosystem includes environment experienced directly, the neighborhood; and the macrosystem represents the…

Surveys some of the representative literature reflecting attitudes and practices imposed on women addicts or female members of drug/alcohol abusing family systems. Explanations based on a study of healthy family systems are given with interpretations anchored in cultural rather than sexist phenomena. (Author)

Argues that although meta-analysis makes an important contribution to summarizing attachment studies, it limits the conceptual understanding to simple causal models and ignores family systems models that could illuminate the development of secure and insecure attachment. Maintains that fathers' role in attachment and the impact of the quality of…