Multirater or 360-degree feedback is a sampling technique that can be used at three levels: for developmental purposes, appraisal, and compensation. It was designed to be small-scale, personalized, and occasional. Implementation tips and pitfalls for districts are described. (MLH)

When students graduate from college, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) wants to make sure they hold the keys to economic success. And one of those keys, the CBCF says, should unlock the door to their own home. Toward this end, the foundation has embarked upon an initiative to help young people graduate from renters to homeowners.…

Data from 25 participants in the Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota (FAIM) project were used to identify factors that enabled these low-income wage-earning families to save money and build assets. FAIM, part of the Individual Development Account movement, is a pilot program for families with incomes [less than or equal to] 200% of poverty…

A decade after passage of the Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993, a pilot study at the University of Arizona examined the impact of one selective depository library's decision to select, whenever possible, Web-based government information instead of tangible formats such as print and microfiche. The…

This article explores some of the consequences of the widening participation agenda for the teaching of sociology, particularly in the new university sector. Recent research within the Department of Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) suggests that we are increasingly facing new demands from students who take a more instrumental…

In their teacher preparation and professional development training, early childhood teachers learn about the importance of play for children's development; yet they are rarely taught how to play with children. Once in the classroom, many teachers do not interact responsively to children's play; instead they ignore, interpret, or dominate the…

Northern Ireland has invested heavily in the use of technology enhanced learning at all levels of education. Alongside this, radical changes to the school curriculum and the planned move away from academic selection towards a more inclusive system are challenging those involved in Initial Teacher Education to find ways to improve teaching and…

The Open University (OU) is the UK's largest university, with over 200,000 people studying, part time and at a distance, a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses and packs. Research and development carried out at the OU's Centre for Outcomes-Based Education (COBE), has provided a new way of enabling students to be accredited at higher…

This article describes the background and findings of a research project on school effectiveness and evaluation in one regional education authority in China. The study was the outcome of a China/UK academic link aiming to improve research capacity and the evaluation of educational quality in China, funded by the British Council in Beijing, on…

Background: The outcomes of a pilot program of staff development in communication support in the context of observed changes in student behaviour states and interactive abilities are reported. Participant reports about the impact of the program on their professional practices are included. Method: Six teachers and six teacher aides in special…

This paper summarizes activities associated with school-improvement projects in 12 Louisiana School Effectiveness and Assistance Pilot Study (SEAP) Cohort One schools during school year 1997-98 and plans for future improvement activities in 1998-99. Faculty and administrators at each school were asked to revise their current school-improvement…

The Consortium for the Development of Professional Materials for Vocational Education at Ohio State University was organized in 1978 for the purpose of developing high-quality curriculum materials for training leadership personnel in vocational and technical education in the United States, and to pilot test and demonstrate new instructional…

An information desk was added to the public services area of the Ward Edwards Library at Central Missouri State University as a pilot project. The project started at the beginning of the fall semester of 1988, and statistics were kept during the trial period to determine whether this added access point enhanced reference service. The desk was…

The objective of this study was to identify, describe, and appraise existing behavior-oriented, vandalism-prevention programs using a case-study approach. This report summarizes an investigation of three programs in Ontario (Canada): Project PRIDE (Pupils Responsible in Determining their own Environment); Operation Aware; and a Diversion program.…

This report provides empirical results of attempts to achieve consistency of estimates between two National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) surveys, the 1993-94 Private School Survey (PSS) and the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). Comparisons are made among statistical and computational procedures that may achieve the desired consistency…