This article reports highlights of a four-year study, by the Center for Policy Research, of the planning and implementation of six innovative public schools. Most people who planned new school programs vastly underestimated the complexity of the enterprise. Dilemmas are outlined and illustrated. (Author/KC)

This book is based on the assumption that we need to have a much better understanding of the process of educational change itself before we can expect reasonable returns from our innovative programs. It is a cross-cultural analysis of the process and dynamics of social change in general, and educational change in particular. The book is divided…

In January 2000 a network of discipline-based centers was established for higher education in the UK, including a Mathematics, Statistics & Operational Research (MSOR) Network which will: support and enhance academic practice in teaching MSOR; coordinate networks of MSOR academics; disseminate innovation and good practice in learning, teaching and…

Using various official sources (such as Ofsted reports), the article explores competing conceptions of the under-achieving school which have been operationalised in recent years. It suggests that there have been multiple, potentially conflicting definitions in policy discourse to which recent innovations have merely added a further layer of…

Business schools, rich in resources and flooded with applicants, are doing little planning and are ignoring important trends. A three-year study that included visits to 60 business schools, interviews with 200 corporate executives, and surveys of 9,000 educators, executives, and business-school students and alumni is described. (MLW)

Describes the background, setting, materials, controls, and a sample of a simulation game on the task of diffusion in a school setting. (CMV)

The Soviet Union is undertaking a drive for excellence in higher education by tightening academic standards, closing weaker institutions, changing admission criteria, experimenting with instructional approaches in some institutions, and increasing efforts at labor force development and training programs tied to national economic needs. (MSE)

Harvard University's founding and development, reputation, famous graduates, presidents, and history of curricular innovation and change are outlined as it celebrates 350 years of existence. (MSE)

At the annual meeting of the Association for General and Liberal Studies, scholars suggested that higher education--liberal arts in particular--should address broad social issues, encourage student activism, and stop pretending that teaching is not a political act. 'Empowerment' of students through collaborative classroom experiences was urged.…

Discusses the problems American students have learning math. Describes the new learning in mathematics that synthesizes new content and methods that restructure the curriculum in a way that resolves design and quality control problems. Presents examples of effective programs. (JS)

Reports on research concerning the use of computers in the history classroom. Examines several problem areas including lack of teaching resources, time management, software, and physical limitations. Recommends several approaches to alleviate these problems. (RKM)

Vocational education and training (VET) systems and their institutions should be highly directed toward innovation, but the position of VET in existing educational systems does not automatically enhance innovation. Within the existing educational systems, innovation in VET has to overcome a number of problems; the literature also indicates factors…

This article summarizes the design and findings of the four-year Rand Corporation study of four federal programs designed to promote change in local schools: ESEA Title III, Right to Read, the Vocational Education Act, and ESEA Title VII Bilingual Projects. (SJL)

Dependence on standardized tests in adult literacy programs derives partly from their relative ease of adminstration and their appearance of providing valid and reliable quantitative data for program evaluation. Few adult educators are satisfied with the quality of the information, and most are extremely dissatisfied with the effects of such…

Despite dramatic evolution during the past decade, assessment of student performance still has issues to address which present important challenges for educators and may determine whether assessment ultimately succeeds or fails. The three issues are evaluating students, applying assessment innovations (holistic scoring and portfolio assessment),…