"SET (Science, Engineering, and Technology) for the Future," a research/action project at Scotland's Heriot-Watt University, surveyed SET students' education experience, compared information with previous research, and used results to modify two SET modules to increase the participation of women students and improve their experiences.…

This article addresses the ongoing need to access the power of self-determination. A definition of self-determination is provided, along with a description of key components. Examples are provided for implementing effective self-determination skills though the use of a case study, an action plan, and list of best practices. (Contains references.)…

The nation's school boards, as currently constituted and empowered, underlie most school governance problems. The superintendent frequently must sidestep the board in order to move the district forward. The experts (administrators) take marching orders from an educational laity. Superintendents should be intermediaries; principals need full…

Discusses the groundwork and establishment of credibility needed to start a creative writing program: (1) writing, publishing, and involvement in the writing community; (2) designing courses that fit a variety of student needs and being prepared to teach evening classes; and (3) promoting the program. (VWC)

Accommodations are test-administration changes that do not change the underlying construct being measured. The Individuals with Disabilities legislation and regulations provide little guidance on implementing assessment accommodations for students with learning disabilities. Certain research-based checklists or rating scales help link…

A Minnesota study showed that changing school starting times to accommodate adolescent sleep patterns profoundly affected many families. Implementation processes substantially influenced how families received changes. Policy makers should inform and involve all stakeholders, allow ample time, provide research-based justifications, support…

Argues that shortcomings in program implementation and evaluation contributed to failure to demonstrate effectiveness of the Comprehensive Child Development Program (CCDP). Articulates lessons from the CCDP, including addressing roles of demonstration projects and their evaluations, problems in evaluation early in program implementation, the…

Studied the organizational issues that arose in the implementation of portfolio assessment in 11 eighth and ninth grade classrooms in Ontario, Canada during the field trial of a generic content selection framework. Results suggest the formulation of three sets of research hypotheses related to organizational issues in the portfolio implementation…

Surveys experiences of 101 primary school teachers of the newly introduced Literacy Hour--about the training and preparation they had received, the implementation of the Literacy Hour, its effectiveness and how children with special difficulties are differentially affected. Reports on other aspects of the Literacy Hour, such as ability…

Provides guidelines for establishing a partnership between a community college and a single high school or school district. Outlines the steps necessary for developing a concurrent enrollment program, focusing on program goals, staffing requirements, program maintenance, and institutional benefits. Discusses how to maintain quality and meet the…

According to advocate Robert J. Marzano, standards are the only policy mandate that can significantly improve student achievement. The standards identification process was clumsy, but started a national conversation about desirable subject-area knowledge requirements. Standards content should be cut by two-thirds; teacher-made tests can be…

Researchers found that a Washington State fourth-grade teacher successfully met the demands of standards-based writing instruction without compromising her teaching stance or diverse students' learning. She instituted 15-minute class meetings to address student problems, read aloud from books with relevant characters, and used innovative,…

Presents a framework for creating competency-based models, including an analysis of the utility of national competency banks. Presents a checklist that institutional researchers can use during and after the implementation phase to guide institutional success. Concludes with a bibliography of selected Internet-based resources in the area of…

The culminating project in completing a doctorate in education is the preparation and final defense of the dissertation. Specifically in educational administration and leadership, the student will have exerted hours of energy participating in course work, internships as well as in written and oral comprehensive examinations. By the time a student…

Universities worldwide offer web-based courses distributed by virtual learning environments (VLEs). A common theoretical framework for implementing VLEs is the pedagogical perspective of instructional design. In this paper, three perspectives of implementation from information systems implementation research and organization theory are presented:…