The mass communication and society section of the Proceedings contains the following 17 papers: "Deviance in News Coverage of On-Line Communications: A Print Media Comparison" (Lisa M. Weidman); "Political Tolerance of Environmental Protest: The Roles of Generalized and Specialized Information" (Catherine A. Steele and Carol M.…

Before undergoing restructuring in 1991, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) was perceived as a model of bureaucratic inefficiency, an impediment to school reform. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated the typical operating procedures of the new KDE. Surveys were sent to a total of 293 randomly selected Kentucky public…

The hierarchical organizational structures that exist at community colleges and other institutions of higher education reflect the Late Industrial Era; as organizations make the transition to the Early Information Era, however, these rigid structures can hinder institutions' efforts to effectively utilize information and respond to changing…

School restructuring can be frightening for teachers, administrators, and even students as they give up familiar roles and are introduced to new paradigms. Educators affected by restructuring efforts often feel out of place, are reluctant to change, and anxious about the unknown. This paper describes approaches for helping school community members…

Many recent educational reform efforts are based on the active involvement of administrators, educators, parents, and community members, all stakeholders in decision making. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated communication strategies used by shared decision-making teams in a small suburban school district in New York State…

Focused on the practical tools that education leaders can use to improve communications with their own colleagues, with parents, and with the general public, this guide can be used by school districts and states to organize their communication efforts strategically to build public support. The guide includes step-by-step information to develop a…

Effective organizational communication can greatly enhance the quality of the school environment and professional/personal relationships. This book focuses on successful communication skills that can help make the school environment a productive experience for administrators, school staff, students, and parents. Chapter 1 discusses the importance…

Attempts to implement W. Edwards Deming's Total Quality Management (TQM) principles in education and transform school systems into world-class, quality learning environments have proved somewhat disappointing. This book asserts that educators need a way to translate the ideas about corporate quality for adaptation and use in schools. The…

Students must learn how to become leaders rather than bosses if they are going to survive and contribute to the needs of the organizations that will employ them. A course was outlined to develop classroom management practices that would simultaneously model and teach students about the philosophy and practice of empowerment. Interviews of 160…

Introducing enduring innovations into a higher education organization requires commitment and support from colleagues. Organizational change involves three steps: (1) mobilization; (2) implementation; and (3) institutionalization. Without institutionalization, the innovation is likely to be terminated despite how well it may be communicated and…

The Council for Environmental Education (CEE) is a national British charity governed by its members which include 80 national organizations with a shared belief in the value of education for sustainable development. The CEE works toward achieving shared aims through creating partnerships with its members, national and local government, business…

This document is a compilation of 40 newsletter issues published by the Commission on Preservation and Access from 1988 through 1991. The Commission was established in 1986 to foster and support collaboration among libraries and allied organizations in order to ensure the preservation of the published record in all formats and to provide enhanced…

This ERIC/RCS Special Collection contains 10 or more Digests (brief syntheses of the research on a specific topic in contemporary education) and FAST Bibs (Focused Access to Selected Topics--annotated bibliographies with selected entries from the ERIC database), providing up-to-date information in an accessible format. The collection focuses on…

Issues in improving administrator communication in response to changing conditions within the school environment are examined in this paper. A communication model of leadership as social control is presented, based on the variables of personal orientation and motivation. A conclusion is that administrators must be prepared to understand the…

This idea book is a resource to help individuals focus their good will and energy on helping girls and young women in their communities. After a brief introduction to each of seven advocacy strategies, ideas for action are listed under each. The first advocacy strategy focuses on organizing your community for action. Ideas for action include…