Needs assessment is a young and growing field. Needs assessments contribute to effective educational planning and help educators improve services to students. Needs assessment can be used to identify goals and objectives, but probably has the most utility as a problem-focusing strategy that includes the following sequence: (1) identification of…

Loose coupling implies the tying together of subsystems in such a fashion that neither can do without the other but neither has much control over the other. The idea of loose coupling, introduced by Karl Weick, is examined in relation to educational administration and organizational analysis in general. The concept employs both a particular theory…

As part of a larger endeavor to evaluate the impact of communication technology on organizations, this study assesses the accuracy of information diffusion via electronic-mail and courier-mail systems in two large organizations which have implemented electronic-mail systems in the last three years. Data were obtained through the use of…

This paper reviews the services provided by the ERIC system and suggests ways to broaden its scope through coordination with other existing education databases. The first of four major sections chronicles the evolution of ERIC and explains why it has not been able to exercise true bibliographic control over the literature of education. The second…

This thesis describes a study of the management of chemical waste at the State University of New York at Binghamton. The study revealed that the majority of chemical waste at the university is in the form of hazardous waste. It was hypothesized that the volume, related costs, and potential long-term liability associated with the disposal of…

This paper argues that the European Documentation and Information System for Education (EUDISED) had a highly successful first stage of development, but that it is currently going through a period of stagnation. The system's decentralization, multilingual approach, and coverage of a full range of educational data make it plain that EUDISED is a…

Microcomputers are now affordable tools for managing schools and school districts--and fast becoming essential. This digest, designed to help school administrators begin computerizing their offices, depicts tomorrow's computerized office, introduces computer applications in management, and outlines procedures for computerizing an office. A…

Part one of the model has two components in needs assessment evaluation with information for management planning decisions. Part two has six sequenced components of input evaluation, which provide information for management organization decisions; process evaluation, for management control decisions; and output evaluation, for communication…

This book argues for an adaptation of Forrester's urban dynamics model for evaluating the impact of desegregation on the Seattle public schools. It is suggested that the Forrester modeling scheme may be useful in the definition and the evaluation of desegregation programs in public schools. In particular, the model suggested should be useful in…

This paper outlines trends in organizational communication studies and proposes that organizational communication be studied through the interaction effects of the medium used in the communication (telephone, television, facsimile, or other media), the type of communication (persuasion, information flow, or negotiation), and the structure of the…

The State Planning System (SPS) is a policy-oriented management tool intended to help analyze the interrelated effects of alternative policies and their relationships to state goals. Two pilot-test case studies are described--the SPS tuition policy evaluation conducted in Colorado, and New York's SPS evaluation of the applicability of large scale…

Exciting developments in family theory construction over the past few years demand a constant survey and evaluation of measurable progress. This paper documents some developmental trends that have taken place in the use of family theory and in the theory construction itself, as well as the relation of theory to advances in methodology. In summary,…

A Quality Assurance Program (QAP) developed at the College of St. Francis is presented that is based on an open systems approach. The model allows an institution to continually monitor, evaluate, and, when necessary, modify its academic programs, graduates or undergraduate, traditionally or non-traditionally delivered, to assure quality. Part I…

This paper describes a continuing education course designed to introduce school librarians to computer and communications technology as applied to indexing, cataloging, and networks, and to the principles and techniques of systems analysis. It is based on the premise that although computer and communications technology presents school librarians…

This study analyzes the alternatives for meeting the publishing needs of the Naval Education and Training Command in the 1980s. The use of current, state-of-the-art equipment, including text editors, phototypesetters, and graphic scanners is explored, and five alternatives to the current publishing system are proposed. Based on an economic…