School improvement initiatives are needed to better meet the needs of underprivileged students, to reduce underachievement and to break a continuing cycle of disadvantage. This article describes part of a school improvement initiative in New Zealand that provided additional funding for school nurse and social worker services in nine secondary…

A study examined the impact of the "Closing the Achievement Gap" (CAG schools) program on the academic achievement of students in 30 schools serving high percentages of African American and economically disadvantaged students in West Virginia (WV), 2004-2008. The program assigned experienced educators, "CAG liaisons", to the…

Ontario has an opportunity to implement meaningful and transformational changes that exploit the potential for growth in the new economy and drive it's prosperity to unprecedented levels. But the threats to Ontario's future are just as great. Failing to move forward now with significant measures could leave Ontario unprepared for the challenges…

The purpose of this report is to provide descriptive information about educational technology practices related to the core objectives of the U.S. Department of Education's Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program. The EETT program is part of the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" ("NCLB") and, like other elements…

Using the data from Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, this issue of "Data Notes" is the second of a two-part series investigating the characteristics of late stop-outs--students who accumulate at least 30 credits within the first two years, only to stop out without completing credentials or transferring. The data show that male…

The purposes of this study were to (a) identify how leadership in a successful rural school districts has helped raise student achievement levels beyond those of comparable school districts as measured by state and federal mandated test scores, (b) investigate the district leadership that aligns with identified effective practices, and (c)…

Communities of Practice offer state agency personnel a promising approach for engaging stakeholder groups in collaboratively solving complex and, often, persistent problems in special education. Communities of Practice can help state agency personnel drive strategy, solve problems, promote the spread of best practices, develop members'…

What does it look like when a school uses data wisely? "Data Wise in Action", a new companion and sequel to the bestselling "Data Wise", tells the stories of eight very different schools following the Data Wise process of using assessment results to improve teaching and learning. "Data Wise in Action" highlights the…

These five papers are from a symposium that was facilitated by Elwood F. Holton, III at the 1995 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD). "HRD Alignment: A Systemic Assessment of HRD in Organizations" (Richard J. Torraco) describes the HRD alignment model as a model for evaluation that offers a systemwide perspective on HRD…

With respect to the educational attainment of students and skill levels of the labor force, America cannot compete well on an international stage. Comparative international examinations reveal that American students know less than their counterparts in other advanced industrial countries. To help improve students' skill and educational levels, the…

A recent study of family child care documented that a significant number of providers were giving inadequate care. As a result, this study sought to: (1) identify public and private initiatives to enhance the quality of family child care and determine how the initiatives are financed; (2) describe the federal role in supporting quality…

Business process redesign (BPR) is a multifunctional, interdisciplinary, and strategic business improvement methodology designed to improve service, costs, and quality. This book provides a conceptual framework for institutions of higher education to shape such an improvement effort including examples of BPR activities and tools. Chapter 1…

This Fastback contends that educators are in the memory business, that memory is probably our most maligned faculty, that forgetting is a fact of life, and that overall memory skills can be learned. The booklet addresses the following questions: How justified are people's complaints about memory? How much is myth and how much is fact? What memory…

Although San Diego City Schools is entering its fourth year of restructuring efforts, many schools are still reluctant to assume the autonomy offered to them. If school restructuring is stalling, it is because district offices have not yet restructured, research on what is known about implementing changes has been ignored, and no clear methodology…

The Local Government Center of Montana State University provides professional education and technical assistance programs to enhance the governance capacities of local governments throughout Montana. The Center offers certification workshops for municipal and county officials focusing on practical and theoretical aspects of government, and a broad…