Seven articles on advisory committees discuss questions for committee development; use of community resources; benefits; commitment and involvement; role in program restructuring; relationship to program success; and ways to optimize benefits. (SK)

Describes the overall evaluation framework that is guiding Missouri's efforts to evaluate comprehensive school guidance programs. Views evaluation as ongoing process designed to improve guidance program. Discusses program, personnel, and results evaluation in an outcome-based framework guided by five questions. (Author/NB)

Expresses gratitude and respect to James Gray, retiring Director of the National Writing Project, and lists assignments Gray has outlined for the National Writing Project. (SR)

Discusses useful ideas about the teaching of writing found in the "Institutes of Oratory" by Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (A.D. 95) which emphasizes the interrelationship of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Counters 12 current fallacies that militate against reviving such a plan. (NH)

Looks at the status of vocational-teacher-education programs today and describes what Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and Virginia tech are doing to revitalize their programs. (JOW)

Describes how the staff in one in-service program attempted to integrate assessment with another in-service program through the development and utilization of an implementation rubric. The rubric provided participants with opportunities to reflect upon their practice, revealed the changes that occurred in participants' classrooms and their…

Describes how Meharry Medical College, a 125-year-old historically Black medical school, was on the brink of closing down, but that through new leadership and partnerships, the school is financially healthy, and its students' board scores are the highest in the school's history. (EV)

Describes types and functions of student contact points in distance education, including academic counseling and library services; proposes a contouring and catchment method to determine the concentration of registered students and prospective candidates; and applies the method to Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for strengthening…

This article reports on the development of the Health and Secondary Conditions Surveillance Instrument Monitoring and Promotion System for use with adults with developmental disabilities. Results of a pilot survey with 119 individuals illustrates how survey data might be used to improve systems of services and supports for this population.…

Describes the Most Significant Change (MSC) technique, a dialogical story-based technique that aims to facilitate program improvement by focusing the direction of work towards explicitly valued directions and away from less valued directions. Illustrates the use of MSC in an Australian case study. (SLD)

Advanced Placement (AP), which enables high school students to take introductory college-level courses, is the nation's oldest example of a rigorous, common curriculum. Students who score well on AP exams are more likely to persist in college and earn a degree. The Advanced Placement Expansion project of the National Governors Association Center…

This report is California's response to the four questions that the United States Department of Education (USDE), Division of Adult Education and Literacy, requires of all states and territories receiving federal funding through the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The questions…

The use of evaluation to examine and improve the quality of teaching and courses is now a component of most universities. However, despite the various methods and opportunities for evaluation, a lack of understanding of the processes, measures and value are some of the major impediments to effective evaluation. Evaluation requires an understanding…

California has fallen behind on many key indicators of education performance, prompting policymakers to look for strategies to improve student outcomes. Among the policy options being considered is the possibility of expanding public funding for preschool education as part of a broader agenda of education reform. To provide a foundation for…

Education authorities continue to experience difficulty in recruiting and retaining teachers in rural and remote schools. In Western Australia (WA), a state noted for its vastness and number of schools located in rural and remote settings, a scheme developed by the Western Australian Department of Education and Training (DET) and the WA Chamber of…