These five papers are from a symposium that was facilitated by Michael Leimbach at the 1995 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD). "Developing Systems Thinking Ability in Organizations" (Carol Ann Zulauf) reports a study that examined the relationship between cognitive complexity, locus of control, and selected…

Given the current social and economic changes, American education must change in order to connect students to the future. This book is comprised of a collection of essays on the topic of systemic change in education. The book focuses on reform for the future by bringing together systems theory with detailed examples of strategies and cases that…

Student self-concept represents a newly emerging and extremely important field of study for instructors and classroom facilitators. This paper presents studies and theories investigating self-concept as a significant factor in the classroom. Self-concept is deeply imbedded in intrapersonal, perception, and interpersonal communication. In order to…

Statewide learner competency and assessment systems in 11 states were examined. Information was gathered through telephone interviews and a review of materials on the learner competency and assessment systems being used/developed in each state. Special attention was paid to the states' activities regarding development of the following: systematic…

This paper, which is intended for individuals responsible for information management at British further education (FE) colleges, describes the attempts by a number of FE institutions to manage their information effectively and provides guidelines for FE institutions to follow when developing their own information management strategy. After a brief…

This paper reports on changes in the practicum component of a teacher education program, designed to provide experiences related to the systemic functions of schools. The practicum evolved from genuine collaboration between a school and a university to share responsibility for preservice preparation. The program involved having the teacher…

The drive for systemic reform in education reflects a widespread hunger in all sectors of society to make sense of the whole, as is shown in the increasing recognition of people in organizations of the interrelatedness of the organizations' parts. However, many attempts at systemic reform are hampered by the lack of a common view of what an…

Because the quality management (QM) movement can be very important in school improvement efforts, it is essential to determine how QM can fit with relatively new restructuring ideas and whether this approach is consistent with existing school structures and processes. This book presents an integrated approach to holistic quality management that…

This monograph explains the community-based systems of care approach to providing services for children and youth with emotional disorders and reviews data from 30 communities suggesting that children served in systems of care are less likely to receive services in restrictive environments or to be placed out of their homes, counties, and states.…

This book examines the influence of policy environments, system design, and leadership on the performance of state higher education systems, using case studies of seven large and diverse state higher education systems: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Texas. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the evolution of state…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on human resource development (HRD) and performance outcomes. "Going to the Next Level of Growth: Employing Systems Thinking to Make Effective Interventions" (Carol Ann Zulauf, Joseph A. Ilacqua) shows how a systems view enables organizations to find the most effective point for…

This book examines the rationale, benefits, and limitations of computer-assisted career decision making (CDM). Discussed in Chapter 1 are the following: the components of CDM (options, persons, environments, processes, and outcomes); the historical development and context of CDM; and considerations in reaching decisions about work, occupations and…

Under development in a Maryland district, the Competency-Based Systems Oriented Guidance Program described here combines (1) a focus on helping all students become competent in knowledge, attitude, and skills and (2) a systems orientation addressing the entire spectrum of student life by providing a common language, methods of information…

The validity of educational tests used as critical measures of educational outcomes within a dynamic system is discussed. Validity becomes a problem if an educational system adapts itself to the characteristics of the outcome measures. The concept of systematically valid tests is introduced; these tests induce curricular and instructional changes…

An overview is provided of progress in the development of a management information system for the California community colleges. First, background is presented on the current Uniform Statewide Reporting System (USRS), and problems with the system are identified and discussed (i.e., lack of student outcome information, unintegrated data, lack of…