This collection of papers, purposely written in jargon-free language, is designed to inform policymakers, business leaders, educators, and civic-minded parents about the abiding complexities of urban school reform and the linkages between the success of schools and the vitality of cities. After the "Introduction: Learning from the Past"…

The Government of Sri Lanka entered in an agreement with IDA (International Development Association) (World Bank) to undertake the implementation of a set of reforms recommended by a number of study panels appointed for this purpose. These recommendations were classified under eight components and the General Education Project II (GEP II) was…

This dissertation is based on the ideas that: (1) metaphor is essential to the conception of and life in organizations; (2) the dominant organizational metaphor of life within universities, particularly from an administrative perspective, is Newtonian/mechanical; and (3) a metaphoric perspective grounded in chaos theory might be helpful in…

This ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) monograph updates and expands upon earlier ERIC publications on the topic of instructional development (ID) models. This monograph presents a brief history of ID models, describes a taxonomy for classifying them, provides examples from each of the categories in the taxonomy, and describes trends…

Organizations are self-organizing living systems and therefore capable of doing for themselves much of what managers have always tried to do for them. The role of the leader in organizations should be one of helping the organization develop a clear sense of its own identity, since that is the reference point around which self-organizing takes…

Ways in which to identify the correct problems to solve thereby avoiding the misappropriation of time, talent, and resources are presented. The text is divided into 3 parts: "The Foundation for Smart Thinking,""How to Solve the Right Problems," and "Systems Thinking for the Systems Age." The chapters under these headings are: Chapter 1, "The…

This paper discusses family systems theory and advances a communicative model of family functioning that is process orientated and encourages children to develop self-control. Family systems theory postulates that each member of a family has an impact on the behaviors of other family members, and that children's behavior is influenced by their…

The significance of design thinking and systems thinking for design has gained much recognition in recent years. In comparison to design thinking, scholarly discussion about systems thinking has a much longer history and includes more multiple and divergent perspectives. This paper reviews and critiques the essence of design thinking and systems…

Interviews with 20 adult returning students investigated their library needs. Seventeen female and three male undergraduates aged 23 years and older at colleges in three cities in North Carolina participated. Many adult students have needs that differ from those of traditional undergraduates, especially in dealing with technology. The time…

This book examines the educational phases experienced by countries moving from authoritarian styles of government to various forms of liberal democracy. It focuses on Latvia, South Africa, and the former German Democratic Republic so as to identify commonalities in diverse systems. The essays employ a model that depends not on a regular linear…

In December 2000, the U.S. Department of Education awarded the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) a 5-year contract to develop and refine an educational reform model to help low-performing districts and schools improve student achievement in reading or mathematics. Drawing on over 3 decades of research, SEDL developed the Working…

Identifies two major problems--first, both the formal and informal communication networks are extremely diffuse; and second, the interval from the start of a piece of research until its integration into the archival body of scientific knowledge is long--and presents some suggestions for alleviating them. (Author/JM)

The State University at Brockport, New York, provides student row housing in 20-40 feet high modules separated by pedestrian streets and squares with easy access to community centers, service facilities, parks, streets, and plazas. (Author/MF)

The energy shortage will have a favorable effect on city revitalizing activities as innovative thinking is applied to city and transportation planning, building design, service and recreational facilities, and sewage treatment. (Author/MF)

Discusses the development of a design task in which the students can focus on problems in some part of the city. Describes such an improved strategy for teaching the design of complex systems as challenging and beneficial, especially for those interested in urban-related careers. (CC)