Some of the problems facing parents of handicapped children are considered, and the importance of families planning for the future of their children with chronic disabilities is stressed. In addition to the problems encountered by parents who raise non-handicapped children, parents of a handicapped child must cope with community rejection,…

Indicates that the concept of quality circles might be used profitably in higher education to increase productivity and improve educational quality. (JOW)

This popular book captures the essence and spirit of three creative and exciting tools used by many schools and organizations who want to build innovative and quality education or human service systems that truly meet the needs of the people being served. The book gives a glimpse of the 3 tools: Circles, Maps and PATH, and outlines the key points…

This article presents an interview with Paul Neff, a veteran teacher at Spokane, Washington's Lewis & Clark High. Paul Neff recently earned a $4,930 grant from the Toshiba America Foundation to purchase global-positioning systems and digital cameras for the Outdoor Living class he just took over two years ago. In an interview, Neff talks about…

Context: Since the passage of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, rural hospitals have struggled with the need to strategically adapt to an abundance of changing reimbursement and regulatory programs, as well as to respond to the needs of an increasingly frail elder population in need of postacute and long-term care (LTC). Purpose: This article has 2…

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…

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…

Outlines an approach for preparing and using futures scenarios that has been successful in the formulation of long-range plans and policies. How to construct a scenario and how to draw implications from the scenarios are discussed. (AM)

Reports the development by the Public Library Association of a planning manual, "A Planning Process for Public Libraries." The manual outlines an efficient seven-step planning process that will enable planning committees to avoid time-consuming procedural investigations and concentrate on critical analysis and recommendations for change.…

The diverse planning approaches used by the five institutions of higher education described in the previous five articles (HE 527 556-560) discuss the role of differences in institutional cultures and issues. Such differences must be taken into account in the design of the planning process, implementing plans, and evaluating benefits. (DB)

This second article in a three-part series on strategic planning offers insight on the planning process itself. Discusses identifying long-term and short-term missions, and developing the strategic plan. (DGM)

Discusses the need for long-range strategic planning in libraries and related organizations and examines plans included in their Web sites, including the Library of Congress; ALA (American Library Association); OCLC (Online Computer Library Center); CARL (Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries); and planning for a digital library with the New…

Discusses educational changes from a system perspective. Sets forth a series of assertions based on eight years of experience with special-education reform initiatives in Iowa. Presents generalizations from an experiential base regarding critical components and characteristics of change process. Gives specific recommendations for persons…

In this article, the author talks about leadership succession. Leadership succession planning rests on the supposition that transitions work best when they are approached intentionally. A leadership succession plan is a deliberate and systematic effort by one's organization to ensure leadership continuity in the directorship and other key…

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…