The Fort McMurray Catholic School District (Alberta) developed a teacher evaluation model based on constructive staff feedback and teacher support. The model includes mentor teachers, peer coaching for teachers and administrators, and ongoing staff development. Plans for research to assess the model's effects on student achievement are discussed.…

The concept of quality of life currently impacts program development, service delivery, management strategies, and outcome evaluation in the area of intellectual disabilities. Maryland uses peer interviewers to assess consumer-perceived quality of life among adult recipients of MR/DD services and supports. In this article we describe the survey…

Professional development practices implemented in rural school systems have often led nowhere. These practices seem to produce adult learning activities with few results other than participants' mounting frustration and another innovation left by the wayside. To encourage the development of productive professional development, many studies are…

State-level policy support for teacher induction programs can help teachers realize their full potential, keep them in the profession, promote greater student learning, and save money. Higher education institutions and school districts must work together to provide high-quality and well-designed induction programs. This issue of "Policy Matters,"…

This article draws upon 10 years of pedagogic experience in developing and delivering work-based learning programmes within the United Kingdom national social work post-qualifying framework. The article is a retrospective, reflective and thematic account of our work. It briefly outlines the history of post-qualifying social work education and…

This multimethod study generated and tested a "best evidence" model of school improvement processes (SIP) capable of improving student achievement. Initially developed through the review of a comprehensive body of previous empirical research, the model was further refined through a 2, 5-year longitudinal study in 10 schools. A quantitative test of…

This publication, one of a series examining the issue of faculty workload and productivity, argues that the key to institutional change in higher education is the role of college faculty and offers recommendations for improving and measuring college faculty productivity. The paper begins with a conceptual model for discussing faculty productivity,…

As many as 15 million people living in rural areas report one or more long-term impairments that significantly affect their quality of life. In general, disabled people living in rural areas receive fewer services than do people in urban areas. For example, counties in Montana with the largest population centers received significantly more…

This publication presents a series of steps that can be used by employers to initiate or modify a diversity program. It is based on a study of a nationally recognized model developed by the City of San Diego. Fifteen steps that are considered elements of San Diego's success are described, using the city's experience. The steps are as follows:…

The key to long-term institutional effectiveness is a comprehensive planning process that identifies a few vital goals that can be measured by an institution. Effective strategic planning involves five key elements: process-based planning, a systemic approach, integration with the budget process, an effective deployment process, and appropriate…

School-based enterprise (SBE) can be defined as any school-sponsored activity that engages a group of students in producing goods or services for sale to or use by people other than the students involved. The advantages of SBEs include the following: deeper understanding of academic subject matter through application in a practical context,…

At Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) in Massachusetts, the Learning Center is the heart of the college's instructional program. The Center houses programs for credit at all academic levels, including some classroom work for 40% of the faculty. The Center is a delivery system for individualized, personalized curriculum at both remedial and…

This guide is intended to help develop and implement an outcomes assessment program at the school, district, or state level. An introduction summarizes the purposes of this approach to assessment, which focuses on results rather than process. A four-step process is outlined. The first step is to establish a solid foundation for assessment efforts,…

This document explains Oregon requirements for identification and programming for gifted and talented students. Five simple rules for planning programs and services are listed. Flexible pacing options are discussed, including continuous progress, early entrance, grade skipping, concurrent enrollment, advanced level courses, credit by examination,…

A program review model that can be used at the system level in the Simcoe County in Ontario (Canada) schools is presented. Program review is a process of systematically marshalling information so as to enable individuals to critically debate a specific program and eventually make more informed decisions about the program. A variety of conceptual…