ISO 9000 is a set of quality standards that assists an organization to identify, correct and prevent errors, and to promote continual improvement. Educational institutions worldwide are implementing ISO 9000 as they face increasing external pressure to maintain accountability for funding. Similar to other countries, in the United States vocational…

This paper presents findings of a project aimed to improve the quality of science education in Southeast Mexico by the creation of a community of practice among scientists, researchers and teachers, involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of a professional development program for mathematics, chemistry, biology and physics secondary…

This article analyses change of time use and time allocation in three schools participating in a Swedish five-year national experiment in which State regulation of teaching time was weakened. Participating schools could freely decide how to use and distribute teaching time. The experiment was launched at a late stage in a 25-year decentralisation…

This publication contains a set of five case studies and two analytical overview chapters that lay the foundation for a deeper understanding of the process of educational policy formation in Africa. Reflecting developments until late 1992, the cases include Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda, Mali, and Senegal. The articles describe and analyze current…

A pilot center was established in Yaroslavl, Russia, to train business clerks using German curricula and training that could be applied to Russian conditions. Choice of Germany as a model was due to increasingly developing cooperation with that country in the field of vocational education. The Russians analyzed German curricula and worked out the…

This study examines the effect and effectiveness of the "bug-in-the-ear" (BIE) intervention strategy used with early field placement teacher education students to see whether meaningful feedback early in training would significantly help with developing teaching competencies. The BIE strategy involves a one-way communication device to…

The 1988 Hawkins-Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Amendments to Chapter 1 (now Title I) have enabled broad expansion of Title I schoolwide projects. The regulatory changes provide funding to entire schools, rather than targeting services to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged subpopulations. This paper reviews what is…

Recently, school-community relationships have gained popularity as a way to increase resources for schools. This paper presents results of a case study that examined the interorganizational relationship between a public school and a community-based program. Specifically, the study explored the elements involved in the implementation and…

In a survey of educational researchers, school and district administrators, and policymakers, 1,818 respondents rated educational practices and policies according to their influence on learning and assessability. Classroom practices, design and delivery of curriculum, and schoolwide practices were rated as more influential than federal, state, and…

This summary reports on a research project that looked at the relationship of whole language instruction to adult basic education (ABE) learning. It begins with the background of the three research projects. This section discusses the staff development program that enabled teachers to understand whole language, its principles, and its strategies…

Incorporating community service into the education of public school students in the United States is becoming a national trend and an important research topic. The implementation of the Louis Feinstein Public Service Program in Sharon Public Schools in Massachusetts was evaluated. A structured interview approach was used to gain information about…

There has been much recent debate in both educational and political circles about the utility of choice as a means of improving the educational system. This book argues that any discussion of choice must address choice in public schools. The book is organized into seven chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of choice in public education,…

A study was conducted of three New Hampshire library literacy tutorial programs to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the adult tutorial programs, staff development, and training needs, and the role of the public library in promoting adult literacy services. Data were gathered through a two-phase process begun in October 1993. A survey was…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the process of building staff commitment during the earliest phase of comprehensive school change, or "courtship" phase. Participant observation in a northwestern urban school district was conducted at three low-achieving elementary schools that implemented the accelerated schools model.…

Canada's ability to take advantage of the opportunities and mitigate the difficulties presented by today's economic, cultural, and social changes and global competition depends on the education and skill development of its youth. Meeting these challenges requires a common purpose involving students, parents, businesses, educators and others. To…