The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning (National AEM Center) at CAST is a technical assistance (TA) center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The purpose of the Center is to improve educational and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through…

Purpose: This research aims to investigate the leadership strategies employed by two higher education institutions in Malaysia as they navigated the shift to online delivery of their computer science programs in response to the demands of Education 4.0. Design/methodology/approach: A phenomenological, comparative case study approach was used to…

Objective of the Case--There is a large volume of theoretical and "how to" literature on professional learning communities (PLCs), but little documenting the challenges of implementation and even less on the challenges of system-wide implementation of PLCs. This case is about the role of the central office in initiating and supporting…

Rural schools face challenges that are very different from their urban or suburban counterparts. Fewer resources supporting rural schools mean smaller staffs and larger responsibilities for everyone. At the same time, rural schools and districts must meet the same standards as their larger, better-funded counterparts. One key to making the most of…

How do you stay focused on increasing student learning when budget cuts threaten everything you are striving for? This book offers a comprehensive framework to enhance student achievement in good times and in bad. School reform expert Allan R. Odden outlines a school improvement action plan focused sharply on student learning and then shows how to…

The education profession is notorious for its resistance to change. School leaders often claim that collective bargaining agreements, state and federal regulations, and budget concerns prevent them from pursuing effective school reform. The culture of the K-12 leadership environment is one that often seeks consensus over progress and collegiality…

Higher education must look to itself, not just government, to improve teaching, training, and learning. It must empower individuals to achieve their goals better within society's context, explore how it can do that more effectively, and go outside academe to assure public interest, resources, and programs supportive of its work. (MSE)

College science education is at risk of becoming mired in the "reform culture" that has long been problematic in precollege science. A single universal solution to student underpreparedness and lack of sustained interest cannot be found, but a departmental level commitment to change and reallocation of resources is necessary to achieve program…

In December 2002, the Department of Education launched the Office of Innovation and Improvement. That office was charged with promoting promising innovations in education and expanding parental options and information. Even in those early days of the "No Child Left Behind Act" the Department knew that the law had the potential to set in…

No Child Left Behind as well as many state policies maintain that the threat of sanctions are a method that will insure quality teaching and improved student achievement. Proponents of these policies often point to states such as Florida and Texas and their improved achievement scores under such policies. For the most part, these claims are not…

A discussion of the contemporary situation in American Indian higher education addresses three questions concerning current, past, and future Indian education: (1) how resources are currently allocated; (2) the nature of the present Indian educational-political system and any significant changes over time; (3) whether the current system is…

Analyzes the structure of academic sociology departments. Stresses the competition for resources and symbolic capital among different groups including faculty, support staff, research staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Focuses on the complex role of graduate students, the constraints, and the opportunities it opens. Urges reform…

Asserts that U.S. education has entered a new era of advocacy for arts education. Describes publications and other efforts of the National Coalition for Music Education. Compares effective and ineffective advocacy methods and includes a table of contents of an "Action Kit for Music Education." (CFR)

Multimedia instruction, a computer-based system incorporating video, audio, and digital storage media, provides educators with the tools to bring learning alive. With strategic planning, adequate funding, and faculty development, multimedia may become the most common form of instructional technology by the late 1990s. (Author/MSE)

Attaining the goals that higher-education reformers target (making the academy more accessible, affordable, and effective) via technology is likely to require a significant overhaul of postsecondary institutions, including the use of time, resource allocation, roles of faculty/staff, and institutional mission. Closer examination of how technology…