To advance educational innovation, the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education supports a practitioner-based action research approach to educational improvement through project reporting, conferences, project clusters, Lessons Learned publications, feedback, policy revisions, and dissemination grants. The fund attempts to sustain a…

Evaluation of the Teaching and Learning Project Scheme at Southampton Institute (United Kingdom) examined the effectiveness of a scheme that released staff for limited periods of time for work concerned with teaching and learning. An internal, local evaluation methodology was used that involved questionnaires and interviews. The evaluation set the…

Discusses ways to evaluate proposals for change in the educational system. Outlines three principles to guide in the planning and organization of educational change projects: (1) Base policy and practice on proven practice and research; (2) Support the creation of professional learning communities; (3) Use diffusion principles to support adoption…

Examines the results of Mexico's quality-oriented higher-education policies, in place since 1984 and designed to encourage improved faculty performance through economic incentives. The policies were enhanced further in the mid-1990s by establishing medium-term improvement strategies and using external evaluators and international experience to…

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) for quality programs has seven categories against which organizations are evaluated (leadership, information and analysis, strategic/operational quality planning, human resources, process management, quality/performance results, customer/student satisfaction). A preliminary quality-assessment…

Presents an overview of various approaches to evaluating inservice teacher education in the United Kingdom and elaborating on one approach: evaluation for decision making (including context evaluation, input evaluation, process evaluation, product evaluation, and transfer evaluation). The paper also discusses some general principles to help…

A study examined 149 urban and rural school psychologists' abilities to use formal and informal assessment data to diagnose autism and plan an effective educational program for a student with high-functioning autism. Respondents had difficulty recognizing autism but were able to select appropriate Individualized Education Program goals for the…

Describes the National Board for Professional Teacher Standards (NBPTS), addressing the types of certification available to teachers and the NBPTS propositions. Discusses the procedures for NBPTS certification and the types of certification areas for elementary social studies teachers. (CMK)

The Preschool Referenced Assessment process, intended to link ecological and judgment-based assessment to instructional planning for young children with disabilities in inclusive settings, is described, including instructions for use of assessment forms and development of goals and objectives for the child's Individualized Education Program. (DB)

The purpose of elementary physical education is poorly defined, and the public has low expectations and support for the field. The Developmentally Appropriate Physical Education Practices for Children rating scale emphasizes teaching practices that are appropriate to each student's age and ability. The paper describes use of the scale. (SM)

This article presents an instrument, the Transition Profile, which secondary educators and rehabilitation professionals have designed and field-tested. The Transition Profile is a method of summarizing pertinent information collected during the secondary years and may be useful in the process of determining eligibility for vocational…

Describes a program at the Waterford Public Library (New York) that expanded existing outreach efforts to children in local preschools and a local childcare center, while adding services to a preschool play group. Discusses costs, the creation of story kits that included picture books and related activities, and evaluation results. (Contains 16…

This article presents a flowchart and component checklist to assist educators in using a systematic multidimensional approach for evaluating educational software for use with specific students with disabilities. Examples of questions to use in one-on-one summative software evaluation are provided, along with a chart showing the chronology of…

Presents a model to help schools pose and answer data-based questions about teaching and learning, describing different types of data that educators can use to piece together pictures of their schools (e.g., student learning statistics, demographic data, and school process data) and discussing how educators can cross data from different categories…

Examined the implementation of the Success for All early intervention program in Montreal (Quebec, Canada) at four urban elementary schools with 128 high-risk students compared to 136 control participants. Program implementation resulted in higher reading achievement for the at-risk students. (SLD)