The oversight of state education reforms is explored in this paper, with a focus on the motivations of program fixers and the strategies they use to guide implementation. Fifty-seven interviews were conducted with legislators, committee staff, and legislative agency staff to analyze the program fixing process in six states--Arizona, Louisiana,…

This document is divided into three volumes. Volume I describes what exemplary Private Industry Councils (PICS) do, Volume II explains why they are effective, and Volume III tells how to implement exemplary practice. Volume I contains case studies of 10 exemplary PICs organized by 7 topics areas (history and structure, policies and program…

Applying industrial organizational theory to classroom management, the authors examined the organization of a complex bilingual curriculum for the effects of shared authority among students and teachers and the effects of shared decision-making among staff. Using a math-science curriculum called "Finding Out: Descubrimiento," the nine…

Twenty pairs of students from seven special education resource rooms (elementary and intermediate grades) were assessed on the structure of the instruction they received. Their reading achievement was measured three times during the year. The instructional programs for 10 experimental students were to be based on their teachers' use of continuous…

An examination of the effects of collaborative interaction among 13 elementary school teachers implementing an innovative teaching approach collected data pertaining to the subjects' interdependence and lateral communication from teachers' responses to questionnaires answered at 2-week intervals throughout a school year. Data for measuring teacher…

Research was conducted to determine the extent to which the states have been able to spend their Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) 3-percent set-aside funds for assistance to economically disadvantaged workers 55 years old and older, to compare the expenditure rate of the older worker set-aside with the expenditure rates of other JTPA programs,…

A study was conducted to explore the question of what works in secondary vocational education--whether exemplary vocational programs can be identified, whether their key features can be described, and whether there are lessons to be learned that can assist others in devising strategies to improve secondary vocational education. Methodology…

This document, the first part of a two-part evaluation of the third-year implementation of New York City's 3-year Dropout Prevention Initiative (DPI), is the final evaluation report of implementation of the DPI middle school component, called the Dropout Prevention Program (DPP), conducted in 29 schools. Case-management services and some…

This document describes a project intended to: (1) render the description, assessment, and evaluation of adult education more relevant to administrators, politicans, and the general public; (2) quantitative and qualitative indicators of relevance to the evaluation of adult education in Sweden; and (3) make recommendations to the Swedish National…

This publication provides guidelines and support to aid corrections administrators in improving the quality and quantity of vocational education programs offered at their institutions for female inmates. Chapter 1 introduces a comprehensive approach to programs that calls for systematic use of four steps. Chapter 2 describes the four steps:…

This volume reports findings of a field network study of how the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) was implemented in 20 states and 40 Service Delivery Areas (SDAs). Chapter 1 is an introduction. Chapter 2 describes the changing organizational and programmatic dimensions of state-level JTPA activities. Variations in the roles played by the…

Despite the widespread introduction of microcomputers into the nation's schools, tremendous variations exist in the frequency and success of their implementation. This study focuses on the principal's role as one possible cause of these variations. Recent research has identified two major role activities of principals: instructional leadership and…

This study examined a group of Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) programs to determine: (1) effectiveness in attracting academically able students; (2) the retention rate among MATs in teaching; and (3) what characteristics differentiate among the MATs' career choices. An assessment is given of the strengths and weaknesses of the MAT model. The MAT…

The Virginia Board of Education adopted a resolution in May 1986 to establish a statewide elementary school guidance program within a 4-year period. A study group was formed to produce an objective, statewide study of principals' and superintendents' perceptions of this new program and to detect issues which could hinder program implementation.…

Results of this study will be used to assess the possibilities and limitations of staff development as an instrument of state and local policy for improving educational quality in the public schools in California. Four basic questions were addressed: (1) What is the total California taxpayer investment in staff development and what forms do the…