Participants from four teams attempting to write an interagency agreement on the transition of children with disabilities from early intervention programs to early childhood special education were interviewed at three points in time, spanning 5 months. Results indicate that writing an interagency agreement was a complex, multidimensional, and…

Suggests that individuals can compile an action plan for professional and organizational change that aligns personal and organizational priorities by considering leadership, coaching, corporate citizenship, change management, efficiency, teamwork, customer focus, and decision making. Presents models and assessment instruments for personal…

A capstone business course sought to develop understanding of integrated organization functions by having cross-functional teams play roles in a hypothetical case. A variety of assessment methods were used. Team teaching proved very time consuming. Students felt challenged by team responsibilities and the ambiguity in the course design. (Contains…

This article discusses the need for teachers and parents to work together to help gifted students. It lists 10 principles for the identification and recognition of giftedness that parents and teachers should adhere to, including learning as much as possible about characteristics and needs of gifted children. (Contains references.) (CR)

CREST (Collaborative Redesign of Educational Systems) is an intensive, year-long, field-based teacher preparation program that blends theory with practice. Each student teacher is taught at a specific school within the Arlington (Texas) Independent School District and joins an instructional leadership team comprised of a mentor teacher, university…

Cooperative learning encompasses both a teaching philosophy and instructional methods that encourage students to work together to maximize learning. This article examines the rationale for incorporating cooperative learning in health education, reviews cooperative-learning basics, and provides an example of cooperative-learning technique in health…

Twelve guidelines, accompanied by specific suggestions, address ways to improve collaboration between regular and special education teachers in schools moving toward inclusive schooling practices. Sample guidelines are to establish schedules, set expectations for student work and assignments, determine team members' classroom roles, share…

Delegating decision making to those closest to implementation can result in better decisions, more support for improvement initiatives, and increased student performance. Shared decision making depends on capable school leadership, a professional community, instructional guidance mechanisms, knowledge and skills, information sharing, power, and…

This article reports on an action research project focused on a first-grader with a severe articulation disorder. Intervention involved collaboration by his classroom teacher, mother, speech pathologist, and the child to develop, implement, and continually evaluate an action plan. (Contains 12 references.) (DB)

Discusses ways to create and sustain strong teaching teams, including matching curriculum goals, complementary professional strengths, and exercise of autonomy. Elaborates the administrator's role in nurturing and supporting teamwork. (JPB)

Describes how New York City's District Two prioritizes school principals by having veteran principals mentor newer principals, sharing advice and experiences on everything from supervision and instruction to budgeting. This team effort helps principals deal with the significant daily stress of working in city schools. (SM)

To embed ongoing learning opportunities in routine school practices, superintendents must help schools create the collaborative cultures that enable teachers to work together, engage in collective inquiry, and learn from each others' experience. Suggestions for fostering quality staff development, clarifying priorities, and improving capacity are…

Financial planning is the key to providing a high-quality instructional plan. A 5-year financial plan is typically updated by looking at district financial history, future instructional plans, staffing requirements, and revenue projections. Planning assumptions must be clearly understood by the financial team and the community. (MLH)

Describes how a team designed an Open University (United Kingdom) distance learning course that explicitly attempted to help students acquire the learning characteristics of mature and capable practitioners in the field. Explains how the learning-to-learn goals of the course included experiential and constructivist perspectives of learning.…

Explored the feelings, attitudes, and perceptions of at- risk adolescent girls from a psychiatric rehabilitation facility following their participation in adventure therapy that involved outdoor experiential activities. Interview data indicated that participants found positive meaning within various activities. The resulting themes were…