Describes a framework to support an object-oriented approach to performance analysis and instructional design that includes collaboration, automation, visual modeling, and reusable Web-based repositories of analysis knowledge. Relates the need for a new framework to the increasing concern with the cost effectiveness of student and employee…

Research reveals better outcomes for smaller schools or smaller learning communities within schools. Data from 489 schools indicate that smaller size can be cost effective. In light of these findings, some states are changing policies that favored consolidation and larger schools. (SK)

Considers whether electronic learning can be effective for performance improvement in business. Topics include the prevalence of online instruction; electronic learning as one tool among many effective ones; different ways of learning; cost effectiveness; reasons to invest in electronic learning; and assessing learning needs. (LRW)

Discusses advantages and disadvantages of audioconferencing for professional development; recommends basing technology choice on curriculum and provides a checklist of criteria. Describes an audio workshop on learning disabilities, outlining principles of good practice, guidelines for site coordinators, and participant handouts. (SK)

Discusses how an emphasis on student recruitment, combined with deferred maintenance backlogs and maintenance budget cuts, suggest that further study needs to be done on the intrinsic value of campus maintenance. (EV)

Discusses how to calculate the return on investment from electronic learning. Describes web-based calculators that help assess the effect of training on organizational performance. (JOW)

Professor of community pediatrics at the University of California at San Diego describes several cost-effective approaches to implementing a school health program. Includes, for example, taping underutilized community resources, carefully screening school health requests, prioritizing student health problems. (PKP)

Using the example of the Five Colleges consortium, explores the measuring of benefits and costs involved in intercollegiate cooperation. Discusses how the benefits are often other than cost-savings, which is ostensibly why many institutions join such consortia. (EV)

Describes a Missouri self-insurance or pooling program that provides a risk protection package, along with risk management services, to its members. Discusses cost advantages to pooling, and other factors school districts should consider when deciding whether or not to join a pooling arrangement. (MLF)

Critiques Freyd and Lytle's evaluation of the IBM Writing to Read program in the same "Educational Leadership" issue. Claims that WTR helps kindergarten and first grade students produce stories they otherwise would not have written and that research results were misinterpreted. IBM should be allowed to compete in the language education…

Presents analysis of impact of college counseling on student retention, documented with data from published study of unintentional effects of college counseling on primary and secondary prevention of dropouts. Examines both therapeutic effectiveness and economic considerations like costs and benefits. Argues for and demonstrates foundation of…

Analysis of 1979-81 data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Young Men (2,165 subjects) confirms the hypothesis that workers who quit and become unemployed experience larger wage gains when reemployed than those who move directly to another job. Unemployed movers apparently receive wage gains to compensate for higher job search and mobility…

The first of four articles describes the move by the European Space Agency to eliminate connect time charges on its online retrieval system. The remaining articles describe the pricing structure of DIALOG, compare the two pricing schemes, and discuss online pricing from the user's point of view. (CLB)

Reviews the problem of rising periodical subscriptions costs for libraries, and argues that subscribers must take a stand by refusing to subsidize greedy publishers. Guidelines for increasing the effectiveness of serials budgets by decreasing the number of subscriptions are suggested. (CLB)

Describes a study that examined the effect of adding retrospective conversion holdings to OCLC on the number of interlibrary loan requests received, and determined the added costs or benefits of the project. Findings discussed include the impact of the library's use of OCLC and the effect of types of materials cataloged on interlibrary loan…