The New Zealand Ministry of Education has published a best evidence synthesis iteration (BES) that identifies the characteristics of teacher professional development that make a positive difference for valued student outcomes. A companion best evidence synthesis iteration (BES) that identifies the leadership influences on valued student outcomes…

Higher education in Africa has had diverse histories and trajectories, and has played different roles over time. This article is concerned with the evolution and future of higher education on the continent, and the role that open educational resources (OER) might play therein. It is generally accepted that "the university in Africa and higher…

This article provides a field-based example of a series of outreach programs that have been designed in response to current recommendations found in the K-12 outreach literature. These programs begin with university mathematics and science faculty members teaching a 10-day summer workshop to elementary and middle school teachers. Following this…

The development of a school improvement plan (SIP) has become an integral part of many school reform efforts. However, there are almost no studies that empirically examine the effectiveness of SIPs. The few studies examining the planning activities of organizations have generally focused on the private sector and have not provided clear or…

The number of state-funded prekindergarten programs continues to grow in the United States. The quality of these early childhood programs, however, often depends on the type of professional development provided. In this investigative study, an experimental pre-post causal-comparative research design was employed to evaluate the impact of an 8-week…

The Study of School Turnaround examines the improvement process in a purposive sample of 35 case study schools receiving federal funds through the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program over a three-year period (2010-11 to 2012-13 school years). This evaluation brief focuses on 11 of these SIG schools with high proportions of English Language…

This report describes how the Richmond County, North Carolina, Tech Prep demonstration project developed a model program with the following objectives: (1) market the Richmond Tech Prep model in every state; (2) disseminate information to at least 3,000 new persons from other states; (3) maintain assistance to previous adopters; (4) provide…

This monograph synthesizes information gathered during pilot tests and presents material relevant to developing and implementing a comprehensive career development program. It provides valuable information for those wishing to improve their career guidance and counseling programs. Discussed in chapter 1 are the following topics: the role of…

This report contains comparative information that has been systematically secured through the evaluation project on secondary vocational education in Tennessee. It presents data that were collected, recorded, and reported from three program review and evaluation instruments for administration, vocational-technical instructional programs, and…

Each year, the Illinois community colleges conduct comprehensive reviews of their current program offerings. In fiscal year 1994, the colleges reviewed a total of 870 occupational, 176 general education or academic, 53 developmental and adult education, 90 academic and student support, and 22 other programs. Occupational programs were reviewed in…

A study examined tech prep (TP) implementation in the United States. Questionnaires were mailed to a geographically representative sample of 473 of the 855 local TP coordinators identified. Completed questionnaires were returned by 84% of the coordinators surveyed. The study established that as many as 50% of the nation's high schools are…

Currently, 14 of the 22 Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree programs at New Jersey's Cumberland County College (CCC) provide work experience opportunities, incorporating hands-on experience and theories derived from instruction in the classroom. Employers who participate in work experience, or Cooperative Education (CE), programs benefit by…

This volume contains 17 articles on the emergence and potential of "Quality Improvement" (QI) efforts in higher education. Quality Improvement is defined as continuous improvement of processes in a cycle of plan (administration of instructional processes), do/check (assess), act (on the assessment and then continue to), plan-do-check-act. The…

This paper highlights the centrality and importance of quality guidance and counseling programs in national efforts to implement educational reform. Such reform is essential for excellence in the initial preparation and skill development of youth and adults to ensure the country's competitive position in world markets and to improve work role…

This report describes a program developed by West Virginia University to address the increased demand for doctoral level special education personnel in higher education, particularly for colleges and universities in rural areas. Data indicate that the available pool of qualified teacher educators in special education has not been sufficient to…