Many metrics along K-12 education may serve as indicators of potential success, but they are not goals. Students must leave the public school system at least proficient enough to face the tasks ahead. At the moment when students depart the K-12 system to enter college or career, it matters neither how proficient they were years before, nor the…

In November 1996, the voters of Montgomery County (Maryland) approved by referendum an amendment to the County Charter that changed the County Council's review and approval cycle of the six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP) from an annual to biennial cycle. The referendum specified that in odd-numbered fiscal years (on years) the County…

Institutions should not assume that since they can't predict the future they should not consider it. Instead, they can use their imagination to anticipate any number of possible, probable, positive, and even preventable futures. Attendees of the joint conference, "Campus of the Future: A Meeting of the Minds," in Hawai'i this past July--hosted by…

The European Students' Union (ESU) feels the need to face the current crisis and to foster the student voice of all students across Europe. In this context its main priorities for 2012 will be: (1) Education as a public good; (2) Internal development; (3) Social dimension; and (4) Bologna and European cooperation. It is of great importance for ESU…

In this article, the authors explain a method that helps policymakers and educators to identify the forces and trends affecting education today and to project how they might conceivably play out in the future. They suggest that by asking "What if?" in a disciplined way, it might be better to imagine the possibilities of tomorrow in order to take…

The stunning rate of change in modern society will make today's education obsolete tomorrow. Limiting educational planning to short-range objectives is no longer sufficient. To be effective, education must be committed to achieving goals and objectives reflective of the desires of the community and of school district personnel. The eight…

In November 1996, the voters of Montgomery County (Maryland) approved by referendum an amendment to the County Charter that changed the County Council's review and approval cycle of the six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP) from an annual to biennial cycle. The referendum specified that in odd-numbered fiscal years (on-years) the County…

This discussion paper provides an overview and analytic guide to long term planning of education systems in the context of Education for All and the Millennium Development Goals. Long term gains in educational access depend on anticipating future financial and non-financial constraints on growth and on successful implementation of plans which…

Proposes using spider charts to connect long-range, midrange, and near-term educational planning phases. The process involves determining which long-term programs should, can, and must be accomplished; determining required courses, faculty, facilities, and time frames; and preparing yearly and long-range budget and resource acquisitions estimates.…

This report details the early care and education strategic plan for the District of Columbia. Following an executive summary, the report provides the rationale for developing an early care and education strategic plan and describes the process used to develop the plan. The top 10 early care and education issues in the district are then delineated…

This document describes ways to facilitate reflection and planning in challenging areas of school reform. It outlines a process, "image-making," that is based on research conducted with high-poverty schools that made substantial reforms over time. Image-making helps initiate thoughtful dialogue among adults in the school community by using…

Argues the need for long-range planning and the importance of board and superintendent support for it. (IRT)

Describes an eight-part long-range planning model: (1) creating a vision; (2) conducting a management audit; (3) establishing basic values; (4) writing a mission statement; (5) identifying assumptions; (6) adapting overarching goals; (7) setting specific measurable objectives; and (8) developing feedback and adaptive processes. (SK)

Describes an algorithm for course scheduling that can make the process much less time consuming for chairs and deans. Notes that long-term planning is possible because of the algorithm's two-year cycle. Notes that the algorithm can be programed easily by using a spreadsheet. (RS)

Explores ways in which educational institutions may undertake market research, using case studies from various educational situations. Recommends market research for long-range planning and marketing activities. (SK)