Data fuel the process of change. Schools and districts should have electronic data systems that store data and make it easy to extract useful information. School leaders and their staff have questions; they need answers. Their data, when stored in a suitable electronic data system, will help them construct better answers to their questions more…

This book documents the "brave new world" of teacher, administrator, school, and student accountability that has swept across the United States in recent years. Its particular vantage point is the perspective of dozens of new teachers trying to make their way through their first months and years working in schools in the New York City…

This book centers on the human-relation skills and knowledge that educational leaders need to lead public schools effectively. The purpose of the book is to help administrators and those studying to become administrators enhance their human-relations skills. The content and method of this book are centered on the first four of the six Interstate…

Critical and situated thinking in the respiratory care profession were examined through an exploratory factor analysis of the critical thinking behaviors of a sample of 868 respiratory therapists. The respiratory therapists completed a survey instrument containing 44-questions related to how well particular critical thinking behaviors are…

In 2005 the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to gather evidence on local authority (LA) and school approaches to nutrition in schools in order to inform the work of the WLGA Schools Food Task and Finish Group. This report presents the findings of that research.…

The "ERIC Review" announces research results, publications, and new programs relevant to each issue's theme topic. This issue is a compendium of resources, advice, and research to help guidance counselors, parents, and students plan for college. The first section, "Starting Out on the Path to College," contains the following articles: "Why Get on…

The Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Massachusetts, is a nontraditional private school founded in 1968, based on the idea that a child is a person worthy of full respect as a human being. It aimed to create a nurturing environment in which the children themselves choose what they wish to do and schedule their time. This book is a guide…

A quantitative research design was employed to investigate how faculty members become engaged and remain committed to organizational reform. Data collection included interviews with 17 faculty members at California State University in Monterey Bay during the academic year 1995-96, as well as several site visits. This new university was part of a…

A conference on economic development, education, and rural community engagement brought representatives from higher education, government agencies, and education research together with experts in community revitalization and activism to discuss how efforts might be coordinated across disciplines to accomplish lasting reforms in poor, rural…

A new curricular approach called Entrepreneurs in Action! was developed to encourage development of entrepreneurial thinking, including thinking "outside of a structured setting" and demonstrating creativity in problem solving. The effects of the Entrepreneurs in Action! program on the development of entrepreneurial thinking among…

A french language version of a training manual that presents guidelines for planning and conducting a project design and management (PDM) workshop to teach Peace Corps volunteers to involve local community members in the process of using participatory analysis tools and planning and implementing projects meeting local desires and needs. The first…

Knowledge production and learning in engineering is a local, situated, negotiated, and thoroughly social process. Although engineering work entails the construal, production, and application of artifacts and technical devices belonging to the "object world," the process of designing is a process of achieving consensus among real or…

This instructional guide for a one-half credit technological laboratory course for grades 10-12 focuses on apparel from the perspectives of personal decision making related to apparel, the apparel industry, and career preparation. Introductory materials are a course description; overview of course design; facilities, equipment, and resources; and…

This booklet reflects issues raised at a workshop on women's education and empowerment held at the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education. It focuses on promoting empowerment for women in educational contexts ranging from formal education systems to literacy and poverty alleviation programs. Section 1 discusses two perspectives on…

The placement of ninth-grade students has often been a decision based upon available resources and not the best interests of the students. This study provides some evidence of the different influences of three types of ninth-grade placement. Self-perception data were collected for 161 randomly selected eighth-grade students in middle school…