This report examines and evaluates the application of prototyping methodology in the design of a microcomputer-based online library catalog. The methodology for carrying out the research involves a five-part examination of the problem on both the theoretical and applied levels, each of which is discussed in a separate section as follows: (1) a…

This paper examines the hospital discharge decision making process for elderly patients, based on observations of the operations of a long term care agency, the California Multipurpose Senior Services Project. The analysis is divided into four components: actors, factors, processes, and strategy critique. The first section discusses the major…

This is a position paper which deals with learning and reading difficulties of students in urban schools. The program upon which this paper is based is a learning and reading readiness classroom system that uses the Informational Process Model. This system acts as the basic construct for matching learners' needs based on the assessment data, with…

A MODEL FOR EVALUATING INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT LEVEL IS DEVELOPED. THE MODEL IS BASICALLY A DISCUSSION AND AMPLIFICATION OF THE DEFINITION OF "EVALUATION." IT CONSISTS OF SIX MAIN ELEMENTS--(1) STUDENT INPUTS, (2) FINANCIAL INPUTS, (3) EXTERNAL SYSTEMS, (4) MEDIATING FACTORS, (5) STUDENT OUTPUTS, AND (6) NONSTUDENT…

Published materials that have proven useful in the design of the Institute For The Future's first urban simulation model are listed. References include publications dealing with (1) simulations and games, (2) urban and regional models, (3) educational gaming, (4) research and planning applications, (5) methodological perspectives, and (6)…

Using effectivemess, efficiency, self-sustenance, and communicability as criteria, a conceptual model, called SCRAPE, was developed at the University of Texas to systematically describe educational behaviors. The key elements of the system are: (1) diagnosis and prescription, (2) instructional events, (3) achievement evaluation, and (4) consequent…

The system approach to planning and managing educational change features the use of an adaptive framework and a strategy for planned system change. The approach focuses management attention upon (1) relevant future states of expectations or goals, (2) present and future state variables and contexts, (3) human organization factors, and (4)…

Five basic assumptions underlie the effective application of the systems approach to educational management: (1) the purpose of an educational system; (2) the need for improvement in the educational programs of the 50 States; (3) the complexity of local and State educational programs; (4) the present nonsystematic management of most State,…

The Educational Simulation Model (ESM), developed by UNESCO, is designed for use at the national level for long range simulation of educational system fluctuations. The model is a set of equations which describe an educational program and the changes and flows in student enrollment in all the courses of an educational system. Thus the model is…

The study was an evaluation of the planning processes and the products of a curriculum engineering system in a school district. The primary objective was to determine the relationship between the quality of group planning effort exerted by curriculum committees and the quality of curriculum products produced by them. A systems analysis model was…

In December 2000, the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) began working with low-performing districts and schools as part of a 5-year research and development effort to create and refine a systemic model for improving student achievement in reading or mathematics. SEDL hypothesized that as districts and schools increase their…

The goal of the future financial manager should be to educate college personnel to the level necessary to make balanced decisions. The challenge is to maintain the current operable systems and develop new approaches to maximize scarce resources through effective communication. (RC)

While various paradigms exist for planning in two-year colleges, from master planning to quality circles, three major elements invariably appear in planning activities: strategic or formal planning, operational planning, and effectiveness measures. Strategic planning attempts to systematically assess an institution's relationship with its external…

The Engineering Technologies Division of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Canada has developed a systems approach to program review called Competency Profile Development (CPD). This approach utilizes a combination of organizational communication, project management, management-by-objectives, a modified Developing A Curriculum…

Because schools must operate in a changing environment, educators must manage change whether they wish to or not. Administrators must plan accordingly, and the best plans arise from a solid theoretical base. This book provides that base, by drawing on systems theory to develop effective approaches to strategic and operational planning in…