This resource examines the role of the central office in improving instruction and therefore improving student achievement. Mac Iver and Farley-Ripple provide a comprehensive review of the available research (since the 1970s) on the role of the central office in student achievement. First, they review the research chronologically, and then by…

Robert Gagne's theories and research have had a significant impact on practitioners in general, especially instructional designers. He has influenced teaching and curriculum development and used standard practices as a stimulus for the development of theory. This paper explores Gagne's influence on practice by examining the relationship between…

Intended as a practical guide for grandparents raising their grandchildren, this book contains information and ideas about meeting grandchildren's needs and vignettes describing the coping strategies of many grandparents. The book consists of five chapters. Chapter 1, "Finding Help, Growing in Hope," describes reasons for grandparents…

The contributions in this volume grew out of a conference at the University of Minnesota in the fall of 1989. They examine issues that promote a longer range perspective on preventing disabling conditions and intervening early in the lives of children with disabilities. The range of preventable disabling conditions, perinatal influences on…

This guide, intended to help rural educators improve their school or district, connects general knowledge about educational change efforts and knowledge about conditions and characteristics specific to rural education. Chapter 1 discusses common strengths and weaknesses of rural schools and describes values and social patterns in small schools and…

Introducing enduring innovations into a higher education organization requires commitment and support from colleagues. Organizational change involves three steps: (1) mobilization; (2) implementation; and (3) institutionalization. Without institutionalization, the innovation is likely to be terminated despite how well it may be communicated and…

This thesis addresses the issue of cultural matching in the area of mentoring in youth and social services and examines, within the context of current and future racial relations, the potential messages that cultural matching may be communicating to youth. The beginning chapters historically trace juvenile delinquency and child-saving services and…

A task force from a high technology company recently conducted a nine-month study to determine the attitudes of older workers toward work, management, technological change, and productivity. Data were gathered from personnel files; an age audit was undertaken, and 4,000 employees were randomly interviewed. The workers were asked to offer opinions…

This guide provides specific information and resources for course and curriculum development, beginning with an outline of the basic elements of a curriculum and a listing of exemplary curricula in computer science education from other colleges. The definition of, need for, and essential and secondary features of a goal are presented, as well as…

Designed to assist Indian tribes and oganizations in the recruitment, training, licensing, and evaluation of Indian foster and adoptive homes, the manual is presented in six sections. The introduction provides a definition for foster care and foster children, along with excerpts from the Bill of Rights for Foster Children. Section I discusses the…

This report provides an overview of the issues related to a recently completed study of the use of computers in primary classrooms in six school districts and some special program classes, i.e., K-2 English-as-a-Second-Language and bilingual classes at one study site and Chapter 1 pullout classes for grades K-5 at another site. The sites used were…

This paper discusses the change process experienced by teachers participating in a study of a computer-based language arts instructional program for the early elementary grades--the Apple Learning Series: Early Language (ALS-EL). The study explored ways in which the teachers were implementing ALS-EL in their classrooms before attempting to…

This newsletter theme issue addresses adoption and the young child's life. Contributors suggest ways in which practitioners in many professions and settings can better understand and support adoptive families. The first article, "Adoption, 1990" by Barbara F. Nordhaus and Albert J. Solnit, reviews the history of adoption and notes obstacles to…

This paper discusses a survey of 339 teachers at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. The purpose of the survey was to: (1) evaluate the impact of educational technology on teaching and learning at the university; (2) ascertain those areas where staff training and development were required; and (3) determine ways in which both teaching and…

Although vast numbers of educational innovations have been introduced into the nation's schools over the past 20 years, few have succeeded in effecting affective, behavioral, and cognitive student gains. Many recent studies have focused, therefore, on school change processes and the formulation of strategies for successful innovation…