This paper examines the current academic and policy literatures concerning school evaluation in primary and secondary education within the OECD countries. First, it provides a typology of the existing systems of school evaluation across the OECD. It encompasses the diverse criteria and instruments commonly used to carry out schools evaluation, as…

The U.S. Department of Energy's Rebuild America EnergySmart Schools program provides school boards, administrators, and design staff with guidance to help make informed decisions about energy and environmental issues important to school systems and communities. "The National Best Practices Manual for Building High Performance Schools" is a part of…

Educational and cultural exchanges are the cornerstone of U.S. public diplomacy and an integral component of foreign policy. To further this policy objective, the Department of State designates U.S. government, academic, and private sector entities to conduct educational and cultural exchange programs pursuant to a broad grant of authority from…

Following a review of the literature, an educational case study is provided for the benefit of faculty preparing college courses. In particular, we provide a transcribed debate utilized in a General Psychology course as a best practice example of how to craft a debate which maximizes student learning. The work is presented as a model for the…

The burgeoning field of Out-of-School Time provides academic and social services to K-12 students during the time that they are not in school. Hundreds of service providers offer a range of programs that target various student populations. Many tools exist to measure program performance, but no uniform evaluation methods exist to inform funders…

There seems to be a belief world wide, that by going online and including learning technologies in learning packages learner success and economies of scale will be ensured in open and distance learning (ODL). Recent literature suggests that ODL and online delivery are regarded as synonymous. While the introduction of technology in the delivery of…

Service learning has become a prominent feature of the K-16 educational landscape. Service learning is seen to enhance student outcomes, foster a more active citizenry, promote a "scholarship of engagement" among teachers and institutions, support a more equitable society, and reconnect K-16 schools with their local communities. Yet…

Distance learning is enabling individuals to earn college and graduate degrees, professional certificates, and a wide range of skills and credentials. In addition to the rapidly expanding role of distance learning in higher education, all types of organizations now offer Web-based training courses to employees, clients, and other associates. In…

The Woodrow Wilson Foundation does not like to write reports. Typically, Woodrow Wilson translates ideas into academic practices. This said, having engaged 14 (and ultimately 20) graduate schools to work on the Responsive Ph.D.--as the authors called their initiative--it is time to report on what they have accomplished, and on what they have…

In this collection of the best writing on teaching and teachers from the "Harvard Educational Review", authors discuss the multiple demands, distractions, desires, and dilemmas that teachers face in their daily work. Geologists study volcanoes for years yet cannot predict exactly which will be the next to erupt. Meteorologists use highly…

With the growth over the past 25 years in the establishment of residential environmental education (EE) centers, what factors EE center directors identify as important to the success of these centers merits discussion. Research in environmental education is still relatively new, with few continuously contributing researchers and a lack of…

Purpose: This conceptual paper aims to explain how "project management centres of excellence (CoEs)", a particular class of knowledge network, can be viewed as providing great potential for assisting project management (PM) teams to make wise decisions. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents a range of knowledge network types and…

This paper offers the perspective of a group of Primary One children in Singapore on their transition from preschool to formal schooling. It examines their impressions of school expectations, adjustments in daily routine, and the best and worst aspects of school. Data obtained from a structured interview indicates that children regard school as a…

Charter schools represent one of the most intriguing developments within public education in the past decade. Although they vary widely among themselves and differ from regular public schools in some regards, they also show many similarities. Consequently, many of the public relations strategies that work for other schools should also be useful…

We know how to address individual learning, but what are the characteristics of organizational learning? How can you tell if your organization is adaptable and changing? Ten characteristics describe organizations that are learning, and examples show each characteristic in practice.