The report of the Independent Commission on the Future of the State University of New York is presented, based on public hearings, review of staff studies, visits to the 18 campuses, and interviews with personnel at the State University of New York (SUNY), other colleges, and state officials. Major findings include: SUNY is the most overregulated…

Internal and external pressures that affect college program discontinuance schemes were investigated, based on minutes of the Kansas State Board of Regents and three other government-related groups/subgroups. During 1972-1986, a total of 206 programs were merged or discontinued. In 1972 a policy was enacted whereby masters programs that had…

This case study of a central office school improvement initiative in an urban school system examines instructional leadership practices of two junior high school principals. The school-based research focuses on correlates of school effectiveness in "low achieving" settings and the principals' capacity to "reflect-in-action," an ability to make…

Building on previous investigations of the effects of team-organized instructional arrangements on elementary school teachers' sense of autonomy, this report reexamines data from 14 multiunit schools which still retained the team instructional plan at the end of the second year of implementation. Indicators measured were interdependent teaching…

This guide, which is intended for new supervisors and managers to use in an independent study setting, deals with interviewing and selecting new employees. The following topics are discussed in the individual sections: differences between people, five ways of looking at someone, first impressions and qualifications, brains versus ability,…

A guide for community leaders, extension staff, and community or rural development practitioners outlines the evolution of a regional training model for community-based problem solving in rural areas experiencing economic decline. The paper discusses the model's underlying concepts and implementation process and includes descriptions of four…

This executive summary briefly presents the results of an evaluation of the Centers for Independent Living Program, required by the 1984 amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Part B. The evaluation, which assessed the impact of the centers in increasing opportunities for disabled individuals, was based upon data acquired through: mail…

This research study, still in the data collection stage, analyzes teacher recruitment among nine Winnipeg area school divisions by describing practices and decision-making criteria. The report focuses on three elements in the decision-making process as defined by Lipham--decision stages, decision involvement, and decision content. Data were…

This study sought to determine the relative importance of specified criteria used in the selection of beginning teachers and also to identify the characteristics of candidates that influence hiring officials. A similar study conducted in Oregon (N. D. Webb 1980) was partially replicated and extended by including private districts and by…

Inviting policy development is an attempt to cordially summon those who are involved and affected by rules, codes, and procedures to understand and participate in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of policies. This paper first presents criteria for an invitational framework for policy development and then goes on to discuss the…

Materials are provided for a 2- to 3-day workshop for different school constituencies to establish direction, focus, and long-range goals for a school system. The workshop is also intended to help clarify and foster a working relationship between the board of education and the administrative staff that will include definition of individual roles…

As part of a foundation for a multilevel analysis of career ladder reform among educational employees in Utah, this paper focuses on policymaking from the state perspective. Career ladder policy decisions are determined primarily through state legislative action, which are executed by the state board of education. This paper describes policy…

This handbook is intended to assist governing boards of higher education institutions in using key indicators (quantitative or qualitative information that describes the condition of some aspect of the institution) to: evaluate the strategic position of their institutions, compare the institution to its peers, and monitor changes in its condition…

Although evaluation plays many roles in schools--support for administrative decision-making, curriculum improvement, staff development, public relations, instruction, counseling, diagnosing problems for students and staff, planning--recent studies of school district evaluation practices indicate that little overall consistency exists in the form…

A qualitative case study involving five educational institutions assessed the use of competency testing as a prerequisite for high school graduation, criterion for admission into college, criterion for teacher certification, and statewide assessment tool. Focus was on persons and processes involved in setting educational standards associated with…