The purpose of this report is to document the pilot test of the Instruction and Learning Appraisal (ILA) and describe the quality of the ILA process. The ILA process was developed by Edvantia staff who serve as technical assistance providers to schools and districts in the region. Low-performing schools and districts (i.e., those that fail to…

This fact sheet highlights the challenges for students with disabilities in the nation's university system and recommends solutions that would result in better support systems for postsecondary students with disabilities. This document discusses several interrelated issues that impact student preparation and access to postsecondary education. The…

The lack of sound and practical guidelines and materials, which precludes adequate technical assistance, is one cause of the inferior quality of evaluation practices in bilingual education. Other contributing factors include incompetent program evaluators, misinformed local administrations, inappropriate state and federal policies, and complex…

This paper provides examples of intermediary organizations that assist school systems to integrate computer technology into their programs through the provision of financial and/or technical assistance. The organizations are classified into five major categories: (1) free-standing organizations; (2) the collaborative council (representing…

Considerations in the design and implementation of the technical assistance (TA) system for supporting Pennsylvania's statewide school improvement initiative are analyzed. After a brief introduction, the authors describe the key features of the initiative, called Long-Range Planning for School Improvement (LRPSI). They briefly review recent…

This overview of the role of the General Information Programme (PGI) in Major Program VII: Information Systems and Access to Knowledge, one of 14 major Unesco program areas for the period 1984-1989, includes the goals of the program, a review of issues and problems in the area of information technology applications in developing countries, and a…

This report presents findings and conclusions gleaned from a review of 42 cases of indigenous development in Latin America. Findings indicate that the lack of a legal framework for indigenous rights presents a basic obstacle to indigenous self-development; the most common aspect of successful indigenous development was involvement of indigenous…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA) requires districts with schools that have not met state performance goals for 3 consecutive years to offer their low-income students supplemental educational services (SES), such as tutoring, if these schools receive Title I funds. SES are provided outside of the regular school day by a state-approved…

This report, one of six state-of-the-field reports, details how educational leaders access data, the meaning they assign to it, and how the use data to improve teaching and learning. The report recognizes that data does not provide leaders a clear direction for action; rather that data used in educational settings is complex and indefinite. These…

Cooperative research relationships between universities and industry are discussed. Attention is directed to the following topics: historical developments in university-industry relationships; the motivations and expectations for research relationships among the two sectors; the range and variety of research relationships currently engaged in by…

The relationship between the social structure of knowledge systems and knowledge syntheses is explored in order to define the social and cultural requirements for effective linkage. Following an introduction (section 1), analysis is divided into 5 additional sections. Section 2 discusses tools for conceptualizing knowledge systems, including…

This document is designed to help states and communities develop technical assistance relationships and secure assistance that is responsive to the unique needs of the jurisdiction being served. It is based on the experiences of individuals who have studied and participated in service integration efforts at the state and community levels. It draws…

The failure of many international development projects is prompting project planners and implementers to reexamine the process of technological transfer between countries. This process involves one culture imposing change upon another in such a way that the recipient culture not only accepts the change but also adopts it as its own and expands…

Most current theories about consultation may be subsumed under two models. In the purchase model, an organization defines its problem and hires a consultant. In the doctor- patient model, a consultant diagnoses an implied need and suggests remediation. A third approach, process consultation, recognizes the value of the clients' expertise in…

Although Native Americans have owned and started the fewest small businesses of all U.S. minority groups, entrepreneurship is considered to be an efficient tool for alleviating their economic problems. Barriers to Native American entrepreneurship include poverty, scarce start-up capital, poor access to business education and technical assistance,…