This book provides leaders and those who aspire to be leaders with information in four areas to help them lead reform efforts in their schools, districts, or other organizations. These areas are leadership, change management, lifelong learning, and group facilitation. There are four sub-books contained within this one document: "Leadership…

In 1991, Huntington Beach High School scarcely had a day without a fight, a theft, or vandalism. Disrespect of staff and defiance were rampant with referrals and unserved detentions backlogged. Students felt anonymous, and authority appeared arbitrary. By 1994, the very same high school was a California Distinguished School. The single most…

Despite much public emphasis on school improvement, it is evident that too little proactive attention has been paid to improving what schools do to address barriers to learning and teaching. This issue of the quarterly newsletter of the Center for Mental Health in Schools includes the following features and regular segments: (1) Who at the School…

Noting that young children under age five are still without comprehensive public policies to protect or enhance their status, this issue of the NCEDL Spotlights excerpts an article proposing a quality support system for early childhood education programs. The components of a quality support system are highlighted: (1) personnel preparation; (2)…

This book was written for anyone in an educational setting who wants to deliver presentations to support transforming changes. The first chapter provides background for how to present when the intent is to transform. The two dominant staff-development tasks are the modification of the culture of the workplace and the modification of the teachers'…

France and the United States share a belief in equal educational opportunity for all children. Despite efforts by both nations, equal educational opportunity has remained a elusive ideal, especially for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and even more so in the United States, where studies have shown that poor children typically enter…

Before making determinations about counseling people who have been harmed by technology, counselors need to identify the problems and symptoms. The paper states that this approach is similar to what occurs with other family counseling issues. The only difference noted is that this counseling is more focused on what happens inside families from a…

For a library to function effectively, it is essential that it fosters an open management style, which encourages communication of ideas and objectives both within the library itself and, by example, in other elements in the overall administration of which the library is a part. This paper describes the improvement in morale, efficiency, and…

This paper defines a number of different segments in educational change processes: the internal, the external, and the personal. As a form of introduction, the paper reviews the patterns of educational coalition in the second half of the 20th century. For conceptualizing curriculum change in the 1970s, a model is developed that scrutinized the…

This paper, written for those in higher education mathematics departments, reviews curriculum reform. Three major reasons for programmatic reform are outlined: (1) higher education faces a changing climate; (2) higher education faces a challenging clientele; and (3) mathematics educators face a changing content. The case is made for programmatic…

This book proposes that market principles have been, and continue to be, misapplied to American higher education, causing significant economic inefficiencies and undermining the educational process. It argues: first, that the widespread criticism of fiscal and personnel mismanagement leveled against higher education's traditional way of doing…

A review of recent studies shows that although significant advances have been made in assessing the degree of implementation of Project Follow Through (a developmental/experimental project), evaluations have not systematically accounted for implementation data. Such data measure the contextual and strategic influences on implementation and would…

Raises 20 frequently heard objections to implementing new curriculum guidelines and policies and provides responses. Lists 20 potential activities involved in the implementation process. (BRR)

Discusses recent developments regarding proprietary schools: recognition by accrediting associations, increased federal aid, and increased need for the specific training offered by these schools. Uses the Dale Carnegie organization as an example. (JOW)

The chief state school officer of Colorado looks at the changing federal role in education as it affects the states, especially Colorado. He discusses top priorities of the new administration, how block grants address local priorities, and how to survive the stresses of change. (CT)