For decades, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms were processed electronically by the legacy Central Processing System. In 2021 the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) initiated a system development effort and in December 2023 deployed a new system to process forms for the 2024-2025 school year. However, student aid…

The paper reflects on the implications of selecting local multifunctional networks as a principal method of achieving improvement in the transition experience of young people with life-limiting conditions, given the range of blocking factors identified. It summarises a programme of work that aimed to tackle these blocks through developing local…

Over the last 4 decades, the school effectiveness and school improvement research bases have gained prominence and recognition on the international stage. In both a theoretical and empirical sense, they have matured through a wide range of well-documented projects, interventions, and innovations across a range of countries, describing how efforts…

Facilitative leadership, in the context of whole school development for greater inclusive practices offers a positive contribution to the discourse of school leadership. This article presents an exploration of the development of greater inclusive practices across an early years service and an elementary school that are both adopting a whole school…

This executive summary presents the broadest look yet at a growing trend in America's cities: the emergence of city-led efforts to build comprehensive afterschool and out-of-school time (OST) systems that meet the needs of children and youth in their communities. Mayors and other municipal officials who have demonstrated leadership in this area…

Efforts to make substantial and substantive improvements related to mental health in schools and student/learning supports requires much more than implementing a few demonstrations. Improved approaches are only as good as a school district's ability to develop and institutionalize them equitably in all its schools. This process often is called…

The Intensive Technical Assistance Assessment Tool was originally developed for use in states and communities participating in Smart Start's National Technical Assistance Center's intensive technical assistance program. It is designed to identify specific areas where technical assistance will be of benefit. Assessment results are used to develop…

This pamphlet discusses the original rationale for university systems, points out some of the problems existing because of the definition of that rationale, and proposes a new responsibility for university systems and a new challenge for their leaders. The pamphlet affirms that the system chief executive officer (CEO) and board of governors are…

The leadership role of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) in developing a System of Expert Panels to identify and share promising and exemplary products, programs. and practices is discussed. The System of Expert Panels should enable the Federal government to help the public learn about replicable research and development…

States are in the leadership position to effect pervasive and comprehensive changes needed in the educational system. There exist five key dimensions for analyzing initiatives resulting in systemic changes: (1) infusiveness, building upon existing knowledge; (2) pervasiveness, effecting improvements in all key components of the system, including…

The paper presents the multi-factorial problem of sexual abuse of children within their families, provides definitions of relevant terms (incest, sexual abuse, sexual misuse, molestation, sexual assault, rape), reviews the epidemiology of sexual abuse and its effects, and traces development of a Sexual Abuse Resource Team in a rural/resort New…

There exists a greater awareness of the unique issues involved in providing universally available, high quality services for children and families where: (1) populations are more scattered, (2) social service agencies are typically either understaffed or nonexistent, and (3) resources for community support are much harder to locate. Two factors…

The case for an in-depth evaluation of many federal education programs is argued, particularly those providing site-specific information capable of informing program improvement. The reauthorization of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) offers an opportunity for the U.S. Department of Education to play a leadership role in…

The intent of this paper is to examine the issues, problems, implications, rationale, and basic assumptions behind the reexamination of the need for a generally accepted national policy for vocational education. The paper is divided into seven chapters. Chapter 1 establishes a framework to use in dealing with the main issues. The second chapter…

Many researchers and practitioners contend that all institutions respond to changing market need and can create competitive advantage through innovation and creativity. Each year, institutions expend significant resources developing new products and processes and yet research shows that more than half these initiatives fail. Successful…