As state budget allocations for higher education decrease, "specialty" programs such as gerontology must continually demonstrate their productivity. State and private universities increasingly rely on student credit hours (SCH) or tuition generated, which is making it difficult for many gerontology programs to expand. The School of Aging Studies…

As yet little research into the perspectives of Chinese students studying in mainland China's Higher Education Institutions has been undertaken. This paper explores the issue of students' support needs and presents the findings of a study carried out in 2005-2007 at a public university in North East China. The Action Research method used…

This study analyzed the instructional practices of more versus less effective U.S. History teachers identified by a multiple regression model. Using surveys, observations, and focus-group interviews, the study found that the most effective teachers had a more complete package of rigor, relevance, and relationship strategies than less effective…

The professional teaching and learning cycle (PTLC) is a professional development process in which teachers collaboratively plan and implement lessons aligned to their state standards. This process is an important part of the Working Systemically approach, designed by SEDL to improve a school system's capacity to increase student achievement.…

"Every Child, Every Promise: Turning Failure into Action" is the first national research that comprehensively measures the presence of the essential resources that correlate with success in both youth and adulthood. The report indicates that there is much work to do as a nation. It also shows how failure can be turned into action to improve the…

Today's college students are less prepared for college-level work than their predecessors. Once they get to college, they tend to spend fewer hours studying while spending more hours working, some even full time (D. T. Smart, C. A. Kelley, & J. S. Conant, 1999). In this study, the authors examined the effect of both time spent studying and time…

The notion of optimality is often invoked informally in the literature on metacognitive control. We provide a precise formulation of the optimization problem and show that optimal time allocation strategies depend critically on certain characteristics of the learning environment, such as the extent of time pressure, and the nature of the uptake…

In this article, the author asserts that if Teaching Artists "must excel both as educators and artists, mastering the theory and practice of both fields, as well as the unique theory and practice that lies at their intersections" (Larson 13), then teachers who embrace the arts must master the creative process and experience what it is…

The most frequent form of professional development for teachers--occasional workshops conducted by outside consultants--is widely regarded as ineffective. This document presents findings of a study, conducted by the Indiana Education Policy Center School of Education Office, to examine professional development and its connection to teacher time.…

This study was done to determine how much faculty in the Minnesota State University System spend out of their own pocket to support their work. A survey was distributed to all system faculty (n=2,370) and included demographic and spending pattern items as well as open-ended items. Seven hundred and eleven surveys were returned. Results indicated…

This report discusses increasing demands on teachers' time, particularly with more students with disabilities in regular education classes, and describes how teachers can use strategies, routines, and support systems to empower students to become more independent and more responsible for their own learning and study. The five underlying principles…

Surveys that ask faculty to estimate how much time they spend on teaching, research, and service do not allow for activities which fulfill more than one purpose, fail to capture the patterns of actions that faculty perform to fulfill each purpose; and do not show how different features of organizational and disciplinary contexts affect the types…

This digest examines problems inherent in the traditional school scheduling pattern. It offers block scheduling as an option and describes variations in block schedules. It then looks at the benefits and challenges of block scheduling and concludes with a few suggestions for making the transition. Proponents argue that block scheduling allows for…

In response to increasing assessment and accountability requirements, Mt. Hood Community College, in Oregon, developed an assessment matrix specifying major accountability requirements and established a calendar to help departments understand the necessary sequences for fulfilling these requirements. The matrix lists the various measures or…

The two modules in this packet provide information on planning for workplace success. The first module, "Planning MAS-107," contains seven units that cover introduction to planning, developing plans, setting goals, budgeting resources, scheduling, monitoring implementation, and how to make planning work. The module also includes a list of 18…