This report is the fourth in a series describing the background, theory, and progress of the Differentiated Staffing Project in the Eugene, Oregon, School District. This report discusses the effects of the addition of paid paraprofessionals, or Teaching Assistants (TAs), to the unitized, differentiated staffing schools in Eugene. Specifically, it…

Drawing on studies of state education agencies (SEA) that have been carried out both by the author and by other students of this phenomenon, the contents of this book focus on the SEAs' responsiveness to recent federal aid programs, especially the National Defense Education Act of 1958 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.…

The principal changes being undertaken in Soviet higher education as part of the general restructuring of Soviet society are outlined, including improving the training of higher education specialists, enhancing the role of research, improving staff utilization, increasing salaries of higher education personnel, and enhancing student living…

Suggests school boards separate from day-to-day administrative operations, concentrate on futuristic five-year plans, and work with a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) in subgroups to study all areas of responsibility in order to respond to rising median population age and emerging high-tech society. Would provide optimum accountability and…

The National Coalition for Literacy's (NCL's) stated goal is to serve as the national leadership organization of the adult literacy field. However, NCL's organizational structure severely limits its ability to muster the personnel resources or raise the money required to fully perform the leadership functions required of a national coalition. The…

The field of adult literacy and numeracy provision in Australia has developed and grown over the past 20 years. From a focus on student-centered learning and meeting community needs, it has evolved into a multi-faceted field incorporating community, technical and further education institutional, and workplace provision. Through ebbs and flows of…

This curriculum was designed to teach frontline supervisors of community-based services and programs that provide supports to persons with developmental disabilities. The curriculum is based on a set of identified competencies for frontline supervisors and the findings of a series of focus groups that were conducted by the Institute on Community…

The 11 chapters in this book focus on "The New American Workplace" and assess its adequacy or inadequacy as a guide for the U.S. labor movement in relation to new work systems. "Unions and Workplace Reorganization" (Bruce Nissen) introduces the subject. "The New American Workplace: A Labor Perspective" (AFL-CIO Committee on the Evolution of Work,…

This report describes individual state projects under the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act (Tech Act) that are improving access, provision, and funding of assistive technology (AT) for individuals with disabilities. The beginning of the report describes regional projects that are providing statewide information…

Western enterprises confront an era of global competition in which industry leaders can no longer overlook negative effects originating from past Taylorist and autocratic organizational structures. Corporate leaders are exploring innovative methods to change their organizations from the Taylorist model to workplace environments that foster worker…

Most succession planning practices are based on the premise that ambitious people have and want only one career direction--upwardly mobile. However, employees have 10 career direction options at any stage of their working lives. A minority want the career action requiring promotion. Employers with a comprehensive career planning support program…

This study examined institutional researchers' perceptions regarding their effectiveness in influencing institutional policy changes, the factors that make institutional researchers effective in the policy arena, and researchers perspectives regarding job-related rewards; challenges encountered in seeking to establish influential roles in decision…

The U.S. economy, workplace, and work are in the midst of historic change. New ways of organizing and managing the workplace and new ways of working are becoming increasingly common. Large companies are giving way to smaller and leaner organizations. Today, the typical business establishment employs 15 people. Across all industries, smaller…

Amid unprecedented social, demographic, and economic changes, leaders must enhance performance and deliver desired results. The growing importance of managing the explosion in information requires attention to defining organizational missions and visions. The 37 chapters in this work are divided into 7 parts. Part 1, "On Leaders and…

Researchers at Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) recently completed a study of "beat-the-odds" schools--high-needs schools that demonstrated atypically high student achievement. This policy brief draws from the report of the study's findings, "High-Needs Schools--What Does It Take to Beat the Odds?"…