The author offers lessons learned from three related initiatives of the Wheelock College Institute for Leadership and Career Initiatives from 1997 to 2003 that aimed to promote authentic early care and education leadership by people who came from the community and who hold the same values as the population being served: "Taking the Lead",…

The purpose of this study was to explore how often 159 practicing teachers enrolled in a university Master's degree principal preparation program observed their mentor principals model the four mandated Texas standards-based instructional leadership competencies for the principalship. The competencies focus on leadership through curriculum and…

As the world economy continues to evolve, businesses and industries must adopt new practices and processes in order to survive. Quality and cost control, work teams and participatory management, and an infusion of technology are transforming the way people work and do business. Employees are now expected to read, write, and communicate…

This report presents results of a study addressing two questions: (1) the role of certificates, licenses, diplomas, and other creditials in a decentralized vocational education system of public and proprietary schools, community colleges, union apprenticeships, the military, and correspondence schools and (2) the role that certification can play…

This publication is aimed at middle managers in schools, colleges and other settings who have been given the responsibility for leading the transition from key skills to functional skills over the coming years. It provides an update on some of the developments with functional skills, explains some of the theory about leading from the middle, and…

This document presents data on the student performance of North Carolina students for the year 1994. Section 1 traces the development of school and student accountability measures, outlines the implementation of actions designed to enhance program equity throughout the state, and describes specific program and student performance standards as they…

This paper is a report on a workplace adult literacy project at Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory of Australia. The project deals with the use and function of written text in the work of park rangers and assesses the literacy needs of park rangers and trainees. The project focuses on the uses and functions of written text in the…

Although there is disagreement among educators about performance standards and their relationship to student performance, performance standards are central to the reforms under way in many states and large school districts, including Philadelphia. They are also mentioned explicitly in the Goals 2000: Educate America Act and in the re-authorization…

A Carnegie Foundation survey, conducted in 1988, found that teachers were critical of the education reform movement in general and standardized statewide testing in particular. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the impact of state-mandated testing programs on the work lives of teachers and students. It compares two states'…

This study sought to analyze the cultural literacy of a college of education faculty and compare it to the cultural literacy of undergraduate and graduate students at the same institution. A 100-item instrument, based upon a New York Times book review of "Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know" (E. D. Hirsch, Jr., and…

The newspaper is a familiar tool to many teachers. This book explores another use for the newspaper in the classroom. As an aid in the teaching and remediating of basic mathematics skills, the newspaper adds variety to classroom instruction. The suggested newspaper activities and teaching ideas presented here are specifically designed to reinforce…

This paper describes the elements of outcome-based education (OBE) and identifies the corresponding research base for each. The eight steps of OBE, evolved from the early effective-schools research and mastery-learning concepts, include: (1) define students' future environments; (2) derive outcomes; (3) design student demonstrations of learner…

Designed for high school students interested in careers in special education and related services, this guide outlines the role of the occupational therapist. It addresses the nature of the work, the education required, personal qualities that occupational therapists should have, job outlook and advancement, and how to prepare for a career as an…

Questions about the effectiveness of efforts to increase scores on minimum-competency tests and the appropriateness of their use were answered by teachers, education students, and administrators in Ohio, Georgia, and Texas. The first questionnaire was completed by 59 current teachers and 152 education students, who were asked if 30 listed…

A dissertation-study focused on 210,305 non-categorical third and fifth grade reading results of the 1987 Pennsylvania Test for Essential Learning Skills (TELS). The data given by the Pennsylvania Department of Education was analyzed through descriptive statistics for the following purposes: (1) to determine a difference and a magnitude of a…