A major effort by a well-known university to improve the reading skills of its students is described. (CK)

Describing a task force as a planning and problem-solving group within the school, this article outlines problems encountered in school-based planning efforts and ways to make future attempts more successful. (Author/JM)

Researcher-reformer Ronald Edmonds believes he knows why some urban schools teach poor children successfully. In this interview Edmonds elaborates on his list of the five characteristics of effective schools. (Author/JM)

Discusses the School Improvement Project of the New York City public schools. Lists five factors identified by the Project as determinants of student academic success and outlines the job responsibilities of the school Project liaison person. (FL)

Presents an abstract of a study that tried to determine what makes a school improvement team successful. Reports that six implications arose from the study's 17 conclusions, including the following: the team should identify and assign tasks to faculty and teams should clearly define school improvement goals. (Contains 36 references.) (NB)

Examines three elements useful for solving problems revealed by data gathering and analysis in the context of performance technology: goals, standards, and feedback. Emphasis is on the need for performers of tasks, their supervisors, and the organization as a whole to have the same goals and expectations, and how this is achieved through…

Discusses how those who learn basic human performance technology (HPT) skills can expand expertise in three directions: extended HPT (including generalist, project manager/integrator, and implementation specialist); specialized HPT; and HPT linked to related fields. Presents examples of applications of each alternative. (JKP)

South Carolina's Educational Improvement Act may be only one factor responsible for closed decision-making climates in most of the state's elementary schools, because "reforms" also occurred in curriculum development, methodology, teacher education, and evaluation. With the deregulation movement gaining speed, the time is ripe for…

Considers how human performance technologists (HPTs) can move toward the hard science, or management, arena of an organization. Topics include measuring meaningful outcomes to quantify performance improvements; measurable criteria for workers; essential skills for HPTs; dropping ineffective programs; and defining interventions. (LRW)

Suggests that human resources development professionals need to change their performance improvement focus and philosophy to embrace the importance of building on strengths and managing weaknesses. Identifies five characteristics indicative of employees' strengths. Describes seven strategies to help employees minimize their weaknesses while…

Five knowledge management (KM) experts discuss answers to six fundamental issues of KM that address: a definition of knowledge and KM; relationship between business and KM; whether technology has helped the knowledge worker; relationship between learning, performance, knowledge, and community; the promise of knowledge ecology or ecosystem and…

Discusses how to improve organizational performance by involving customers in partnerships. Relates experiences at the Center for Development and Disability at the University of New Mexico, serving people with developmental disabilities, which helped realize their mission, helped staff cross from theory to application, and increased relevancy and…

Describes a study at California State University at Chico that analyzed the types of reference questions received by their digital reference service over a two-year period. Suggests a strategy for improving the process of answering broad or complex questions remotely. (Author/LRW)

Examined school improvement plans under conditions of high-stakes accountability. Found that schools responded to performance demands of the accountability system with a pattern of external obligation (e.g., state and local requirements rather than teachers') and internal managerialism. School improvement plans were less useful as tools for a…

Presents an evaluation/development method for achieving customer-driven improvement in organizations. Describes the steps to external and internal "mirror analysis," a process for determining if the organization functions as a mirror of customers' needs and expectations. Twelve figures illustrate factors in the process. (AEF)