A research and development approach to performance monitoring in public agencies involves establishing objectives, selecting indicators, establishing criteria for comparison, and using information. Examples from Virginia education agencies indicate that performance monitoring requires commitment, patience, openness to ideas, and risk taking. (SK)

Research generally influences state policy only indirectly. On the other hand, research is not utterly without influence. For example, research findings about schools and colleges which have influenced policy include: the appendices that accompanied "On Further Examination," the College Board report on the SAT score decline; the Southern…

In Virginia, ownership of unused school facilities reverts to the city or county government. This situation illustrates Total Community Resource Planning, a concept that proposes cooperatively utilizing resources to serve the needs of the total community. Explains the steps necessary to systematize the process. (MLF)