With education failing nationwide and economic restraints affecting both rural and urban educational institutions, Extension should be taking a more aggressive stance instead of operating in what has now become the way of Extension and "collecting numbers." Why isn't Extension more visible in the urban populations that reside in our own backyards?…

This article presents an interview with Don Knezek, CEO of International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Knezek is a leader in coupling technology and creativity to transform education. His experience and impact span local to global levels--ranging from district-wide, classroom-based innovation and far-reaching, multi-state projects to…

This paper explores the concept of mutual adaptation in the process of information transfer for school improvement. The analysis is based on the experiences of technical assistance teams of the Documentation and Technical Assistance Project (Chicago, Illinois), which sought to link research and practice by helping schools to improve their problem…

A brief policy paper on multicultural education and a bulletin from the State Superintendent on its implementation in schools in Washington State are included in this report. The first paper lists 31 competencies that should be demonstrated by teachers who teach in multicultural settings. It also discusses the "change roles" that both…

The practical usefulness of H. S. Bhola's models for planned change is questioned through speculations on problems that would have arisen if the models had been applied in arranging an Inter-American Development Bank technical assistance project in Barbados. (PP)

Major differences between European and Latin American universities are examined, and resulting differences in motivations and restrictions regarding cooperative programs are discussed. It is concluded that, although Latin American institutions stand to gain from educational and technical assistance of European institutions, they be prepared to be…

Explores the link between the management of fiscal retrenchment and the need for more effective schools. Describes school improvement strategies based on the school effectiveness research and on past experience with educational change programs. A final section discusses the potential role of these strategies in the larger context of educational…

A discussion of higher education in eastern Europe begins with a description of the major European programs promoting international mobility for students and scholars and then examines reform efforts in the former Soviet Union, Poland, and former East Germany. Critical factors in the success of reforms are outlined. (MSE)

This position paper examines the current Head Start training and technical assistance (TTA) system and proposes specific improvements. These include the creation of regional TTA offices, the use of satellite and interactive communications technology, and a reevaluation of the role of teaching centers, national training contracts, and Head Start…

This paper describes experiences of the Documentation and Technical Assistance Project (Chicago, Illinois) in helping schools to improve their problem solving capacities through the use of cognitive frameworks (shared meanings that people use to interpret their world). The paper discusses two projects that illustrate how shared frameworks have…

The contributions that business and industry can make to help colleges and universities maintain high standards of teaching, scholarship, and research are considered. Four recent studies that address the deterioration in educational standards are noted, and the problems that confront colleges and universities are identified. It is suggested that…

Describes staff roles in federally funded technical assistance agencies (TAAs) for promoting sex equity in schools, through implementation of Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments. Examines congruences between these roles and clients' expectations, barriers to adopting TAA roles supportive of sex equity, and ways to improve TAA staff…

Issues in reform of international business and economics education at Tartu University (Estonia) are discussed, including need for faculty development, faculty reallocation, and redistribution of resources within the country's new social and economic context. It is argued that reform depends on effective integration of foreign experts with more…

Using the metaphor of the "Wizard of Oz," this paper satirizes the use of an unofficially identified and often highly paid group of educational consultants to reform and revitalize special needs career/vocational education. It begins with the premise that leaders in the educational system believe that they can somehow install three…

Growing out of experience in the Pacific Institute for Nonsexist Education (PINE), this paper describes how an evaluation approach derived from oral history and anthropology was used to document the lessons learned about the design and operation of a sex equity technical assistance program. A brief overview describes the PINE program which…