Judgment is the process of making decisions with incomplete information concerning either the outcomes or the decision factors. Sound judgment that leads to good decisions is an essential skill needed by adventure education and outdoor leadership professionals. Cognitive psychology provides several theories and insights concerning the accuracy of…

This document presents findings from interviews conducted to obtain information on changes that have occurred in state Special Education Advisory Panels (SEAPs) since the passage of the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The interviews investigated general organizational changes, SEAP involvement in the…

A study was designed, using a seven-step consultation model, to evaluate the impact of training on collaborative group problem solving during Student Assistance Team meetings. The study hypothesized that following the training, decreases would occur in the number of students referred for a comprehensive special education evaluation. It also…

This booklet presents the story of Benito Martinez Elementary, one urban elementary school in the midst of change and renewal. It is one of 85 schools with which the National Institute for Urban School Improvement is involved in partnerships for change. Through the stories of parents, students, teachers, and administrators, the booklet describes…

This document is intended to present guidelines to help districts and colleges successfully implement state laws and regulations that call for effective participation by the larger college body. The document was prepared for use by trustees, CEOs, academic senate leaders, administrators, classified staff and students so that they can participate…

This report examines the experiences of three large urban school districts (and part of a fourth) that raised academic performance for their districts as a whole, while also reducing racial differences in achievement. Educational challenges included low achievement, political conflict, inexperienced teachers, low expectations, and lack of…

Researchers examined the way selected Australian organizations understand and enact the notion of a learning culture. The diverse approaches that have been used to foster the learning cultures revealed through the case studies confirmed that the concept of a culture of learning was not a homogenous one. The study revealed that embedding a culture…

This study examined the meaning of learner centeredness from the perspectives of practicing elementary, secondary, and postsecondary teachers who were constantly working to live out this concept in their teaching lives. The primary data sources were teacher interviews collected from each participant during a larger study on how teachers came to…

American "Baby Boomer" parents are organizing their elementary students' lives to automaticity. In the early grades, most students find this structure comfortable. Often by secondary school these parents step back, respecting their children's wishes. Here, however, the students face life and career selection with poor decision-making skills. This…

The purpose of this document is to discuss the implications for Arizona's community colleges of the State Board's attempt to play a stronger statewide leadership role, as recommended by the 1997 performance audit of the board. This report is based on 62 relevant papers, and the findings from a three-day retreat that focused on this issue. An…

This study examined the collaborative planning and decision making of a grade level team of elementary teachers. The purpose of the case study was to determine the level and nature of interaction among teachers who participated in grade level team planning meetings during the school year. Eight fifth grade teachers in a mid-South suburban school…

This study examined the Council for the Advancement of Standards' (CAS) standards for new student orientation as a possible set of criteria for faculty governance unit orientation programs. A random sample of 50 faculty governance unit (FGU) leaders were asked to rate the 20 CAS standards re-framed as faculty orientation criteria. The five…

In the University of Toledo/Springfield Local Schools Project, school districts, community councils, and teacher education institutions collaborated to assess school improvement needs and design personnel development programs. Results of this Teacher Corps program are described. (PP)

The Stanford/San Jose (California) Teacher Corps project employs school district-university collaboration to carry out research adaptation efforts that bring about changes in curriculum and instruction. Case studies of math, reading, and bilingual education project components are included. (PP)

This study attempted to explain the effects of two different approaches to classroom decision-making on elementary school children's attitudes, motor skills, self-concept, and creativity. Allowing children to share in making classroom decisions had a more positive effect on them than being in a teacher-dominated classroom. (Authors/PP)