A multimethod approach identified barriers and facilitators of action research training as a method to help teachers create school improvement. Content analysis of action research plans developed during training of 14 school leadership teams indicates the importance of technical research skills and the provision of time as a resource to those…

In 1997, Edmonton Public Schools (Alberta, Canada) began developing a process to engage teachers in curriculum alignment with a view to improving student achievement. Ten principles guiding the curriculum alignment framework are listed, followed by first-year results and factors that led to the framework's success. (CDS)

Presents an approach for linking organizational goals with media selected to deliver training. Outlines three levels of organizational assessment: systemic, performance, and training. Describes the media analysis process that considers instructional and cost- and project-constraint factors for arriving at the most appropriate delivery media. (AEF)

Presents an overview of the need for a multicultural program in the Indian Prairie Public Library District (Illinois). Describes the grant-based collection development; cataloging; promotional materials; judging success of the program; and how improvements could have been made. (AEF)

External and internal forces are driving institutions not only to create departments and positions that specialize in planning, quality improvement, and institutional research but also to link them within a systems context.

The authors examined the parent-therapist alliance in parent management training for children (N = 218; 53 girls and 165 boys, ages 2-14) referred clinically for oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behavior. The interrelations of pretreatment parent social relationships, the parent-therapist alliance over the course of treatment, and…

Universal Precautions (UPs), procedures to reduce the likelihood of accidental exposure to blood-borne pathogens, were observed among seven Certified Nurse Anesthetists and one anesthesia technician during intravenous line procedures. After six weeks of baseline measures, nurses participated in training, goal setting, and feedback targeting hand…

The typical finding from research on metacomprehension is that accuracy is quite low. However, recent studies have shown robust accuracy improvements when judgments follow certain generation tasks (summarizing or keyword listing) but only when these tasks are performed at a delay rather than immediately after reading (K. W. Thiede & M. C. M.…

In 1999, trustees, led by Herman Badillo, were struggling mightily to shore up the City University of New York, a system beleaguered academically and financially after decades of open admissions. Badillo and his allies enjoyed key successes. "AQ" now has the opportunity to recap that struggle by interviewing NAS member and committed battler for…

Quality is high on the education agendas of developing countries. Much time, effort, and finance have been poured into various initiatives and reforms in an effort to improve quality in these countries. However, so far success has been limited and the quality of education in many developing countries remains poor. Efforts to explore the reasons…

This paper examines how Head Start and state pre-kindergarten programs can work together to better serve young children and their families. It focuses on two of the several models of early childhood education, acknowledging that these programs are just one piece of a fully integrated system of early care and education for children from birth until…

This brief draws upon the five-year evaluation study of the San Diego Urban Systemic Project (USP) that Inverness Research Associates conducted from 2001 to 2006. The intended audiences for this brief are those interested in investing in, supporting, or designing initiatives that aim to improve math and science education in large urban districts.…

The states have always been central to the American public school systems, and they have been sharply expanding their authority over local school districts since the 1980s, when they adopted education reforms that increased course requirements (especially in science and math), mandated uniform testing, and put in place higher teaching standards. A…

This case addresses a typical context faced by a new urban principal. Under the former principal, the school had several years of average academic success. Consequently, the superintendent appointed the new principal to significantly improve the success of the highly diverse elementary school. Although the new principal has been well trained and…

The Duke Endowment launched its Child Abuse Prevention Initiative in 2002 by funding two program sites, the Durham Family Initiative in Durham, North Carolina, and Strong Communities in Greenville, South Carolina. Both sites aimed to reduce rates of child abuse, improve parenting practices and behaviors, strengthen community service systems, and…