This dissertation examines how stakeholders in an Appalachian Kentucky high school addressed educational problems that they targeted for reform. Set against the backdrop of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA), this ethnographic study describes the challenges of effectively coupling top-down state mandates with bottom-up advocacy and…

Any discussion of educational transformation today should consider a community-oriented pedagogy. This paper describes the administrator-education curriculum at George Mason University's Institute for Educational Transformation, which was organized around the unifying theme of the "American Dream." The most important reason for doing this is that…

The skills necessary to compete in a fast paced business environment--critical thinking, risk taking, team building, project management, and others--are not and cannot be addressed in the traditional delivery of an undergraduate business course. The Ohio University-Lancaster Management program uses a project based, just-in-time (JIT) approach to…

Feedback has emerged in the literature as a means to facilitate both the learning proccess and teaching performance. The context of constructive, systematic feedback includes evaluation as an important element in the process of decision making for teaching. Teaching and learning function as a whole to achieve outcomes from which specific…

This dissertation, which won the Dissertation of the Year Award, examines how stakeholders in an Appalachian Kentucky high school addressed educational problems that they had targeted for reform. Set against the backdrop of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA), this ethnographic study describes the challenges of effectively coupling top-down…

Using data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program of students who were college freshmen in 1986 and responded to a follow-up survey in 1990, this study examined differences in degree aspirations and attainment between intercollegiate football or basketball players (N=158) and other intercollegiate athletes (N=801). Although there were…

This digest, based on a larger report of the same title, summarizes principles for improving quality in higher education institutions. Emphasis is on the effect of the principles when they are used holistically to create a culture of academic excellence. The quality principles are based on the conceptual framework of total quality management (TQM)…

This summary report presents an integration of major findings on teachers' perceptions of working conditions, based on survey and interview data from about 375 special educators in six large urban districts. The report focuses on special educators' perceptions of administrative support at two levels--building and central office. Major findings…

A formative evaluation was conducted of two elementary schools that have been engaged in the School/Community-Based Management (SCBM) process in Hawaii. The evaluation process was aligned with the SCBM philosophy, which promotes shared decision making, shared responsibility, and collaboration. Stakeholders contributed to the evaluation, which…

This handbook for consumers begins with information on its use, content, and other sources of help. The handbook is then divided into two sections. Part I, How to Be a Smart Consumer, lists tips on getting the most for your money, handling your own complaint, and writing a complaint letter. It provides information on the following consumer issues:…

The general purpose of this book is to develop an overview and synthesis of the doctoral theses completed in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Alberta (Canada) from 1958 to 1991. Among the more specific objectives are: (1) To describe the general characteristics of the research methodologies used in the studies; (2)…

This book provides a comprehensive guide to the collaborative development and implementation of local interagency councils to coordinate services for young children with disabilities, as required by Public Law 99-457, Part H. Section I presents five chapters on foundations for interagency collaboration. Chapter 1 reviews collaboration as a part of…

If labor market phenomena are interpreted from an allocational point of view, where individuals differing in levels of various capabilities have to be matched with jobs differing in job requirements, education can be seen as an intermediary institution affecting the capability endowment of individuals upon entering the labor market. Vertical…

Teacher empowerment and parent participation in school decision making have become dominant themes in the current debate over school restructuring. The literature suggests that as teachers become empowered, they may tend to view parents more as clients of education rather than as partners, thereby introducing a potential conflict into the social…

This study sought to determine whether state special education aid in New Jersey influences the number or types of pupils referred to special education services, the designation of their specific disability, and the setting in which special education services are provided. Analysis of data in state education agency reports and interviews with…