As schools across the country closed in March 2020 at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not clear how long in-person education would be disrupted. The abrupt transition to remote learning was particularly challenging for districts in rural communities, many of which have long lacked reliable access to high-speed internet and…

In recent years, schools have been forced by rising costs and shrinking budgets to stretch their resources further than ever before in order to meet the educational needs of today's students. EPA's ENERGY STAR program helps K-12 schools and districts improve energy efficiency, reduce operating costs and redirect critical resources into the…

Three guiding principles provide the planner of aquatic exercise programs with a model that helps to ensure an effective program: principles of resource availability and allocation; the principle of fit, which involves matching instructor leadership style with program objectives; and the principle of attitude and perception modification. (IAH)

This highly practical guide is grounded in the authors' experience setting up and running a successful professional development program to improve K-3 reading instruction. The book systematically describes how professional development works: how sessions are organized, what they contain, routines and procedures, and the roles of each participant.…

Elements of effective planning in special education are considered, and a Hawaii project, Model T, is described. The project focuses on the process of making and evaluating resource decisions, such as decisions about the kind and frequency of related services staff time versus instructors' time. Microeconomic concepts such as diminishing returns…

This paper examines critical issues for states and advocacy groups in trying to develop short-term goals to address mental health needs of refugees and to plan long-term strategies for state and county service systems for this population. The paper begins with a discussion of the following issues: (1) centralized versus decentralized state mental…

A program structure relates objectives and activities by identifying and measuring objectives (including all activities) and by allowing for growth. The process of program structuring categorizes the activities of education into programs according to their contribution to meeting education objectives and provides a format for the program budget.…

This staff development module is part of one of three groups of career guidance modules developed, field-tested, and revised by a six-state consortium coordinated by the American Institutes for Research. This module is designed for guidance personnel who work in counseling and guidance with students in school settings, grades K-12, and especially…

This book examines Learning-in-Retirement (LIR) programs in which the participants determine their own curricula, teach their own courses, administer and market the program, and engage in self-governance under the aegis of a local college or university. It also provides a description of the issues involved in creating and maintaining a successful…

This bulletin aims to provide guidance to business companies in developing an employee volunteer literacy program in which employees volunteer their time to assist in such aspects of community adult literacy campaigns as advocacy, public relations, fundraising, community leadership, and tutoring. A section on assessing local community needs…

Planning activities at higher education institutions should be comprehensive, program based, and long-range. The daily process of planning and the necessity of integrating planning and resource allocation into a single system are emphasized in this handbook, which deals only with centralized planning activities. The focus is on program merit, not…

The president of Idaho State University explains his institution's unusual increase in support to graduate study in pharmacy as part of an overall commitment to improved health care in the state. (MSE)

Based on an earlier study of approaches to training English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) and adult basic education (ABE) instructors, the current report draws implications and makes recommendations for delivering effective staff development. The five implications are that: (1) ABE and ESL teachers, volunteer instructors, and trainers will attend…

Program budgeting is an effective tool in helping school administrators and faculty to draw up budgets which reflect their own needs and those of their clients. The "systems approach" can be used to draw up a program budget systematically. Part I outlines systems concepts and the systems approach as they can be applied to education. Also, the…

This report outlines the roles and responsibilities, pertaining to the improvement amd coordination of statewide teacher inservice, of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) in the state of Washington. After a field-based research study was conducted, a system was devised by which the SPI can improve coordination of staff development…