Calls for institutional accountability and curricular coherence suggest that faculty must collaborate more than they have in the recent past to achieve significant and ongoing curricular improvements. In the study reported here, the author and her colleagues asked members of academic departments with a reputation for ongoing curricular renewal to…

A modified version of gap analysis, an assessment tool used in professional service industries, was tested for its applicability in higher education. The model helps researchers discern the existence of gaps in organizational communication that influence stakeholder expectations and perceptions of quality. An exploratory study was undertaken…

In 1985, Maryland became one of 45 states that enacted new and tougher graduation requirements. This document presents findings of a 4-year study that examined the effects of the new requirements on local schools and the students and staff who work in them. Three site visits each were made to five selected high schools. Data collection included:…

This report, the third annual study of primary program implementation, outlines case study observations of learning groups and of teachers relations to groups. The learning atmosphere of a learning group is determined by presence of conducive or disruptive elements, input of children, and relation of the group to the teacher, in addition to good…

This resource book provides hands-on guidelines for accelerating community efforts to achieve the National Education Goals. It contains: (1) a guide to goals and standards, including an overview of the National Education Goals and the movement for standards-based reform; (2) a community organizing guide, which describes a step-by-step process for…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined urban school district superintendents' perceptions of the methods by which the Ohio Department of Education (DOE) influenced Ohio's public school districts. In particular, the superintendents were asked about the influence and control utilized by the State Department of Education to implement…

This document consists of four papers presented during a symposium on the change process in organizations moderated by John Redding at the 1996 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD). "Corporate Culture: Friend or Foe of Change?" (Joanne Burgess) reports a study of the characteristics of corporate culture that facilitate…

This discussion guide for facilitators helps school staff translate the concept of William Glasser's control theory, reality therapy, and the Quality School to the classroom. Each discussion chapter focuses on key concepts that staff members process before applying them in their classrooms. The activities are designed to help students and teachers…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on performance improvement processes. In "Never the Twain Shall Meet?: A Glimpse into High Performance Work Practices and Downsizing" (Laurie J. Bassi, Mark E. Van Buren) evidence from a national cross-industry of more than 200 establishments is used to demonstrate that high-performance…

A team-oriented approach is replacing the traditional management style in today's organizations. Because team management skills differ, they require different teaching methods. This paper describes an administrator education course designed to develop team management skills from an applied and behavioral viewpoint. Students participate in…

Noting that cross-cultural and language barriers pose formidable challenges to managers, a case study examined the application of selective nonverbal communication strategies (nonverbal cues, learning by observation, and the organization of learning) for management and training development efforts within diverse cultural environments. Source…

The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges has repeatedly identified the strengthening of communications as a key component to developing the California Community Colleges (CCC) as a system. The genesis of communications planning, activities and priorities took place in 1989 with the Burson-Marsteller Communications Action Plan,…

This report examines organizational aspects of agencies working to support people with developmental disabilities in supported living arrangements that provide individualized help to enable individuals to live in homes of their choice. The report is based on meetings and interviews with agency directors and staff throughout the country. Part I…

After emphasizing the need for a system for evaluating professional support personnel (i.e., counselors, school psychologists, social workers, school nurses, deans of students, librarians, work-study supervisors, directors of curriculum, content specialists) and reviewing the past and present nature of evaluation in education, this document…

The effectiveness, behavior, and role of the consultant as policy advisor is examined in light of three operating assumptions: (1) that educational organiztions are subject to politicization; (2) that the consultant's primary role is to assist in nonroutine, potentially controversial policy decisions; and (3) that the consultant must therefore…