This report describes the North Carolina Department of Education's 5-year plan for establishing a statewide management information system. The system is intended to improve fiscal management, personnel administration, and administrative operations, and to ensure efficient resource use. Initial sections present highlights of the plan; background…

The integration of new technology in 500 Army libraries was studied to assess the feasibility of introducing automation techniques to army library technical processing activities, to examine and recommend appropriate systems and configurations for library automation, and to determine the costs of implementing the recommendations. The study…

Described are the principles and processes of Instructional Systems Development (ISD). The ISD procedures have been used by the military and industry for a number of years, and this report provides a framework designed for a quick understanding of ISD without the need to locate and research voluminous government publications and other references.…

Throughout the paper, the issues of individual differences in web-based learning, also known as online instruction, online training or distance education were examined and implications for designing distance education were discussed. Although the main purpose was to identify differences in learners' characteristics such as cognitive, affective,…

Universities worldwide are consolidating and enhancing their commitments to various models of e-learning. These activities are leading to the adoption of corporate-wide e-learning systems and accompanying changes in structures, processes, and infrastructure requirements. The professed ideal is to identify narrowly defined corporate instructional…

Examines traditional outdoor education leadership training, emphasizing value of "soft" or "people" skills. Describes how Experiential Leadership Education, a systematic approach to teaching outdoor leadership, uses three teaching and group dynamics models. Examines Experiential Leadership Education applications. Suggests…

Argues that the successes of some urban school districts must be organized into a powerful system that delivers excellence and equity for all school children. This objective can be furthered through the addition of controlled choice to the public-education reform agenda. Controlled choice is within-district public-school choice. (SLD)

Analyzes the change that Internet-based OPACs (Online Public Access Catalogs) have represented to the structure, administration, and maintenance of the catalogs, retrieval systems, and user interfaces. Examines the structure of databases and traditional principles that have governed systems development. Discusses repercussions of the application…

With increased costs and decreased funding, it will be increasingly necessary for academic library directors to become heavily involved in fundraising, or development. Discussion includes systems development; funding sources; staffing and organization; and impacts of fundraising on the administration, staffing, and organization. (AEF)

The purposes of large-scale assessment and classroom assessment are often seen as distinct: Large-scale assessments, including school district, state, and national assessments, are directed at the formative and summative assessments of educational programs, while classroom assessments are focused primarily on the educational status or progress of…

Reference services are in the midst of evolutionary changes. At a time when budgets are shrinking, traditional models of service and print reference formats are being questioned. This article discusses future directions of academic reference collections in terms of the apparent shift from print to electronic reference sources. Questions addressed…

Reliable and current data is the foundation upon which good public policymaking is built. While California collects a good deal of data on its teaching workforce, policymakers have lacked a state-level data and analysis system to provide answers to even some of the most basic questions: How many credential holders actually take jobs? In what types…

This qualitative research study aimed to examine the nature of systems change and to identify practices and strategies that states, specifically New Hampshire, use to promote community integration and deinstitutionalization of people with developmental disabilities. The study describes the New Hampshire system, including state practices,…

The Annual Performance Report submitted by each state to the Office of Vocational and Adult Education was used to monitor what states have developed and how and to what extent states have implemented their accountability system. The following findings of this analysis are synthesized in this report: (1) 32 states require evaluation of all programs…

Currently in the United States there is considerable interest in developing a system of examinations that is substantially different from the large-scale testing programs presently in use in this country. These new exams would involve a different form of assessment than current tests and would also enable greater local control over the…