State comprehensive universities are caught between the research university model and the liberal arts and community college models, unsure of their identity. The quest for status has resulted in faculty dissatisfaction, loss of institutional self-esteem, and disparagement of scholarship. Five approaches to developing distinct and appropriate…

Outlines some of the major factors and issues a college or university needs to address in planning for and implementing distance education. It is proposed that such planning and implementation should be conducted simultaneously and be integrated into the fabric of the institution as seamlessly as possible. Considerations such as budgeting,…

Describes how education and training providers can use organizational assessments to pinpoint a company's performance problems and deliver training services to help solve them. Assessments also help instructors understand the business context in which their company customers are operating, and to learn and use that business' particular "language."…

A comprehensive medical school faculty-development program should include four elements (professional socialization, particularly for new faculty; instructional development skill-building; leadership development; and organizational development) to empower faculty to excel as educators and to create vibrant academic communities that value teaching…

Effects of the federal compensatory education policy on the capacity of schools to deliver high-quality services to poor children is examined with a focus on federal assessment of Chapter 1 programs. Alternatives are suggested to improve evaluation usefulness in building organizational capacity by moving beyond a sole focus on student outcomes.…

Staff developers used data-gathering tools to help one high school community deal with decision making for improving programs, organizational climate, and student learning. The school/university collaboration involved collecting data about how the organization and the people within it worked, then using the data to change the organization. (SM)

Review of literature on school leadership organized for the most part around the following topics: Building leadership capacity (organizational, managerial coordination, mentoring, collaborative, democratic, ethical, expanded view of schooling); redefining school leadership, for example, by fostering teacher development; and reforming principal…

Adopting the concept of multiple constituencies as an approach to organizational effectiveness, this chapter identifies key constituents and highlights areas and circumstances in which these constituents have an impact on research and assessment of professional schools. (Contains 1 table.)

As is true for human resource development (HRD), the field of organization development (OD) draws from numerous disciplines to inform its theory base. However, the identification and selection of theory to inform improved practice remains a challenge and begs the question of what can be used to inform and guide one in the identification and…

Purpose: The present study attempted to explore the relationship between teacher learning and student learning under different school structural conditions. Design/methodology/approach: Some 1,330 teachers from 29 secondary schools of different community backgrounds and student academic abilities in Hong Kong were surveyed, using instruments from…

This study applied a learning organisation framework to understand academic departments' efforts to improve teaching quality. The theoretical framework was generated from literature on learning organisations, organisations devoted to continuous improvement through continuous learning. Research questions addressed relationships among departments'…

When educators, trainers, and human resource development (HRD) practitioners are asked to produce evidence that supports the productivity of the training enterprise, they are often frustrated by the lack of simple and effective methods for assessment. While administrators in an organization are likely to know exactly how much training costs, they…

The International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI) promotes the wellbeing of children growing up in difficult circumstances. ICDI works to improve policies and practices affecting these children by doing research and training. ICDI believes in the power of children and young people, supporting their rights and addressing the underlying causes…

This collection draws from the best of the "ERS Spectrum" principalship literature over the past five years to provide K-12 principals with a guide to reflective practice. The resource provided here is distinctive in the way it addresses the dual roles of the principal--as instructional and managerial leader--in a format that is designed both for…

Stephen Brookfield has written and edited 10 books on adult learning, teaching, and critical thinking. He is a recipient of a number of awards, including the World Award for Literature in Adult Education (in 1986, 1989, 1996, and 2005), the Imogene Okes Award for Outstanding Research in Adult Education (in 1986), and the Leadership Award from the…