Notes that the technical communication program at State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica-Rome established a Technical Communication Advisory Board composed of professionals, managers, and others associated with professional and technical communication. Describes benefits to students, to the program, and to advisory board…

A rural Georgia high school has established a framework of continuous improvement to help it become a learning organization. Teachers are involved at all organizational levels--from school management to instructional practices. Teams of teachers are testing new ideas and knowledge, using data and simple statistical tools to discover what works,…

Anecdotal evidence suggests that valuation of library collections is not being addressed by library managers, despite the growing popularity of accrual accounting in publicly funded institutions. This article discusses the implications of asset valuation and describes the development and implementation a method for valuing the library collections…

Describes the implementation of Te Whaariki, the New Zealand National Early Childhood Curriculum. Found that general support for the curriculum is high but that current regulations and funding make it difficult for centers to meet the quality expectations. Several training institutions have begun using Te Whaariki as a framework, and evaluation…

Examines management of planned change. Considers how a continually shifting balance between environmental turbulence and stability affects implementation of annual school-development plans. Tests Wallace and McMahon's contingency hypothesis: turbulent environments demand a continual process of creation, monitoring, and adjustment. Stable…

The change process depends on acceptance, adaptation, and institutionalization of change by individuals, the school organization, and the community. This article presents a Change Process Model that helps principals visualize the steps toward meaningful change. This model encompasses a school's vision; stakeholder groups; necessary skills,…

Identifies key issues and provides strategies for building a library Web site. Highlights include defining the purpose in accordance with what is technically possible; the server; connectivity; designation of responsibilities; page and link maintenance and enhancement; administrative organization, including a Web Governing Group, Web…

Describes a token economy that used tokens styled as license plates to elicit appropriate behavior in an inclusive fifth-grade class in which four students with behavior disorders were enrolled. Student involvement in establishing the "driving rules" of the classroom is explained, the components of a token economy are outlined, and steps for group…

A principal of a charter school in Colorado Springs, Colorado, recounts the triumphs and pitfalls of the school's first year. The school charter lacked a clear-cut avenue for making changes. Intending to create a parent-run school, the founding board (themselves parents) made drastic curricular changes without consulting other parents. Passionate…

Reviews the OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education) school inspection system, based on interviews with 37 teachers at 6 Welsh secondary schools. Inspections emphasize judgment at the expense of advice and can be unnecessarily stressful. The process could be improved by giving shorter periods of notice, reducing required documentation, providing…

Presents results of a retrospective investigation into a Vancouver (Canada) school district's adoption of school-based management, using Fullan's triphasic model of change (adoption, implementation, and incorporation) as a framework. During the change process, Fullan's overall factors were apparent, and the environment was unobstructed by…

Explored the implementation of middle level reform components in both high- and low-performing middle schools, seeking to identify factors linked to student achievement. Found that organizational health, which includes academic focus, teacher affiliation, and resource support, more directly influences student performance than simple implementation…

Rural Underpinnings for Resiliency and Linkages (RURAL) is an example of a Safe Schools/Healthy Students project. Using a public health approach to increase school safety and promote healthy behaviors, RURAL introduced strategies designed to provide universal prevention for the school population, early intervention for at-risk children and…

Describes the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative in Morton High School District 201, Cicero, IL, which used a social ecological systems perspective to implement its goals. Social-emotional learning and violence-prevention strategies were provided at the levels of the community, school, and individual. Creation of a safe school environment…

Reviews recent research findings concerning the benefits of Readers Theater for building oral reading accuracy and fluency and identifies key guidelines for instructional implementation. Presents recommendations and conclusions that place the focus on guidelines for classroom teachers who might want to experiment with Readers Theater as they work…