Educators from nine rural school districts in Idaho participated in a transdisciplinary team training program aimed at improving educational services for disabled students. Pretest and posttest analysis revealed that training was effective in improving collaboration among team members but that further work was needed on teams developing and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a "soft methodology" model in knowledge management that addresses the problem of accessing and managing one particular type of knowledge: personal (implicit/tacit) knowledge. Design/methodology/approach: The model is based on the theories and methodologies of grounded theory, adult…

This study addresses changes in student perceptions when team leaders are incentivized. Although the benefits of groupwork have been thoroughly studied and documented, minimizing dysfunctional teamwork may prove difficult because of leadership incentives, social loafing, and organizational justice implications. Using an innovative pedagogical…

This collection provides a new perspective for understanding what assessment can do to promote continuous improvement in education. The concepts of systems thinking, continued learning, mental models, shared vision, and team building are highlighted in the selections, which include: (1) "A Systems Approach to Assessing School Culture"…

This evaluation of the State Incentive Grant (SIG) training program in 1993-94 compared five schools in the city of New York with relatively high involvement in SIG training and good planning with five schools reported to have low SIG involvement and poor planning. The evaluation also included a sampling of workshops at the District 75 annual…

This progress report of a multi-site project involving eight elementary and middle schools examines the effects of the schools' family involvement program on children's learning; parent and teacher attitudes; school climate; and district, state, and federal policy. The report also examines the ways in which selected policies aid or obstruct school…

The Collegial Evaluation Program leads to improved teaching by systematizing a way for teachers to obtain frequent, focused feedback from themselves, their students, and their colleagues. The process can be used by a single pair of teachers, a teaching team, a department, or an entire faculty. The purpose of this manual is to introduce the idea of…

Which practices set award-winning principals apart from their equally hard-working peers? Using survey results and contributions from 35 award-winning elementary school principals nationwide, this essential text examines over 100 field-based practices recognized as the best for the elementary school principalship. Organized around seven themes…

Current research/literature identifies key, critical concerns of families with children who have special health care needs (ASHCAN). Emphasized are their expressed disappointments with overall transactional care between and among professionals helping their child(ren). Researchers of this study wanted to determine and evaluate the desires and…

The process of accreditation review in the U.S. serves two primary functions: quality assurance and continual improvement. The experienced educators who voluntarily serve on accreditation teams apply common standards of quality that serve students and meet public accountability expectations and offer suggestions and recommendations for…

This report presents findings of a 3-year study (1995-1998) of the effects of a comprehensive system of technology services to young children with mild to severe disabilities. The system's model incorporated: (1) on-going training, follow-up and technical support for teachers, and an on-site technology support team; (2) team-based technology…

Common sense proposals for school restructuring suggest promising directions, but issues of the content needed to give educational direction and show how to link the factors that influence this content must be addressed. An agenda of content for teacher commitment and competence is proposed. Problems of linkage are addressed. (SLD)

Rethinking the middle-level schooling process means reevaluating curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices; addressing organizational structure and attendant issues (grade configuration, grouping patterns, and the master schedule); and examining staffing issues, particularly the teacher's role. The proof of the process lies in student…

It is argued that in the trend away from inpatient and toward ambulatory care clerkships in undergraduate medical education, certain educational issues must not be ignored, including the need for clear educational objectives, curriculum design, different teaching styles, teacher role, program length, and the value of the inpatient "ward…

Reviews five dimensions (focus, scope, structure, process, and capacity) of an organizational design used by 20 New York districts planning for site-based management (SBM) implementation. The confusion surrounding devolution of decision making hinders districts' efforts to effect changes in intermediate variables (job satisfaction and staff…