The curriculum deliberations of 3 fourth-grade teachers who met weekly to plan their lessons were explored in this qualitative case study. These teachers participated voluntarily and routinely produced viable plans for the coming week. With their planning meetings recorded and transcribed, the resulting transcripts were analyzed using Schwab's…

Distinctive styles of client decision-making have emerged from case study research into the effectiveness of career guidance. This paper explores some findings from the third year of a longitudinal study currently underway in England, which relate to the ways clients approach transition points in their careers and make the decisions that move them…

Like the bestselling first edition, this introductory textbook succinctly presents concepts and theories of educational leadership and organizational behavior and immediately applies them to problems of practice. It includes practical case studies, real-world scenarios and analyses, reflection questions, and straightforward explanations of…

The number of staff members serving American higher education institutions has more than doubled in the past twenty years, as occupations in technology, development, government relations, and even athletic administration have grown as never before in the history of the academy. As the number, variety, and importance of these positions have grown,…

Educational assessment and, more broadly, educational research in the United States have entered into an era characterized by a dramatic increase in the prevalence and importance of test score use in accountability systems. This volume covers a selection of contemporary issues about testing science and practice that impact the nation's public…

Quality and feasibility factors affect decision making in choice of assessment methods. Quality factors include the psychometric concepts of reliability, validity, and fairness. Feasibility factors include cost, time, complexity, and acceptability. Tradeoffs are illustrated in two case studies that examine single versus multiple purposes, high…

This article discusses psychological and ethical considerations when providing family therapy for parents considering cochlear implantation for the deaf/hard-of-hearing child. Family dynamics, multilevel criteria of informed consent, therapist bias, and intervention strategies are illustrated by a case study of an 8-year-old boy. (Contains seven…

Discusses the problem of developing a comprehensive self-image to guide policy decisions in institutional management. Six characteristics of the problem are given, together with seven traditional organizational responses. Gaming/simulation is proposed as a solution, and an example of a case study simulation is included. (JJD)

Discusses use and development of case studies for instruction in the decision-making process. Suggests that discussion of a case should focus on questions concerning clarification of issues, exploration of events, evaluation of issues, and implications and application of findings. (KC)

Six college advancement professionals respond to a hypothetical case of across-the-board cuts in nonacademic departments by telling how they would make budgeting choices. The strategies used include involving senior advancement managers as a team, cultivating consensus, preserving priority projects, sharing responsibility among departments,…

Four different higher education case studies are offered as contexts for exploring the implications of the draft code of ethics prepared by the Committee on Standards and Ethics of the Association for Institutional Research and of the strategies for ethical decision making. (MSE)

Acceleration may be an effective intervention in some cases of underachievement by gifted students. Lack of challenge is the primary indicator for consideration of accelerative options. Acceleration is not appropriate for all gifted students, and an adjustment period is common in successful acceleration. Brief case studies illustrate acceleration…

The University of Louisville's successful strategic planning effort, in which presidential leadership played a central role, shows how strategic planning can be a powerful process for making key decisions about a university's future. Establishing a planning protocol, preliminary and advisory phase, and strategic planning at the unit level are…

By identifying and weighing the effects of an act on each constituency, a matrix based on John Stuart Mill's theories of utilitarianism illuminates and helps resolve complex ethical dilemmas. Application of the approach is illustrated with a simulated case study concerning the issue of reputation in a small private college. (Author/MSE)

By examining 12 new middle school programs in 7 school districts in various regions of the United States, this study focuses on how decision-making and planning processes were reflected in grade reorganizations. From interviews with decision-makers involved in each of the cases, the new middle school programs were observed first for their…