The preschool facility is a critical element of an effective preschool program. The recent economic downturn in the United States makes it difficult for states and individual school districts to consider developing new preschool programs or enhancing current programs or facilities. Yet many Americans still agree that public investment in preschool…

On 26 February in Lisbon a team from the OECD's Centre for Effective Learning Environments (CELE) presented its first review of a national school building programme. The school building renovation programme in Portugal, which began in March 2007, involves the renovation of 332 schools by 2015. However, Portugal plans to complete 205 by the end of…

The mission of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, iNACOL, is to ensure all students have access to a world-class education and quality online learning opportunities that prepare them for a lifetime of success. This document, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning's (iNACOL) "National Standards for Quality…

A rapidly changing global economy, shifting demographics, and concerns about our ability to maintain a competitive workforce have focused national attention on the educational systems of America's states, highlighting their critical role in ensuring a productive and creative future for our country. As a result, Americas colleges and universities…

This paper presents the third part of the "Massachusetts Primer on Special Education and Charter Schools." Part III addresses the issues concerning the education of students with disabilities at all stages in the development and operation of a Massachusetts charter school. The information is intended to inform those who are responsible…

The California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) is pleased to present "Ready or Not, Here They Come: The Complete Series of Undergraduate Enrollment Demand and Capacity Projections. 2009-2019." This series updates their statewide enrollment demand and institutional capacity reports published in 1995, 2000, and 2004. The findings…

In April 2008, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) contracted with the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) to facilitate a series of regional workshops and provide technical assistance to strengthen efforts to improve college readiness for all students. This final report summarizes these activities…

In this article, the author presents a summary of a one-day conference organized by Save the Children. The conference aimed to offer a platform from which to identify key issues and barriers to inclusive practice within schools in Northern Ireland, and discussed methodologies to approach these issues through looking at best practice from Britain…

The traditional roles of teachers and principals have changed and improved organizational teamwork is fostered by all members of the learning community assuming decision making roles. Toward this end, the purpose of this correlational study was to explore the relationship between teachers' perceptions of the leadership behaviors of secondary…

At a recent national conference, colleagues from different academic disciplines but all worked in college or university teaching-improvement programs found that the subject most frequently discussed was how to improve the teaching of "tired" faculty members. Tired faculty members are most often senior professors who have worked at their…

Today's school business officials are more aware than ever of the importance of making every dollar count. As they scour their budgets for possible savings, they may be tempted to reduce investment in school infrastructure, perhaps by deferring maintenance, renovations, and replacement of outdated facilities. However, school business officials…

Educators often have a vision but lack the tools necessary for transforming it into reality. This paper describes the Dupont Leadership-Development Process Model (1988), a tool for determining educators' priorities and helping them accomplish their goals. The model has been applied in business and educational settings. The paper describes its uses…

An overview of developments in educational planning from the 1960s through the 1990s is presented in this paper. Based on the definition of educational planning as "a technique for choosing resources and objectives in accordance with a standard," successful planning requires realistic objectives, effective means, and compatibility between…

This plan recommends that Illinois students be given opportunities for continuing and systematic experiences in expressive/creative and impressive/perceptual modes of fine arts instruction. Components of such a program include: generalized; integrated; interrelated; specialized; and extended arts instruction. Enactment of the arts in the general…

This book takes readers through the steps that school personnel encounter in planning and developing a middle school. Chapter 1 outlines the rationale, origin, advantages, functions, and tasks of a middle school, along with setting parameters for its unique identity. Chapter 2 identifies the target population, emerging adolescents, and their…