States that advanced technology, cost control concerns, and worldwide expansion in distance education programs challenge technical communication teachers to find ways of delivering quality technical writing courses by distance. Describes a distance platform at Texas A&M. Sees examining, applying, and testing existing distance theory in…

Discusses issues relating to costs of library and information services in the academic library in transition, reviews the functional cost analysis method, and presents selected data gathered from a larger study on the costs and value of various library services. Applications to a digital information environment are also discussed. (Author/LRW)

If recent trends for serving students with severe disabilities continue, concerns about program costs and benefits may join those of policy and best practice. This article briefly reviews the full-inclusion literature, examines recent case law, considers program costs, and provides conclusions and implications for future decision making. (39…

Develops a predictive model to assess early intervention programs' efficacy and applies it to longitudinal data from a small sample of moderately handicapped infants. Preliminary findings suggest that early intervention results in a reduced need for special-education services in subsequent years. Benefit-cost issues related to program efficacy are…

Several districts in Lower Hudson Valley region of New York decided to study cost savings of using software purchasing program versus other methods by conducting same bids at approximately the same time. The study reports, analyzes, and summarizes bids conducted during the 1992-93 and the 1993-94 school years and concludes that using the…

During the early 1970s, over 150 school districts and several states contracted with private companies to deliver instruction, and the Nixon Administration initiated a vast privatization field experiment in Texarkana. None of these performance contracting experiments significantly improved instruction. Instead, they raised issues of staffing,…

Boulder Valley (Colorado) finds savings with an energy-management strategy that makes conservation automatic. Phase-one strategies included a complete lighting system upgrade and a computerized climate-control system. The energy program has helped the district cut monthly kilowatt consumption by 42%, and natural gas consumption has dropped 27%.…

Four basic types of evaluation can be integrated into most existing school and program structures to assess a violence-prevention program's outcomes, qualities, and cost effectiveness: needs assessment, outcome evaluation, process evaluation, and cost -benefit analysis. Self-report, archival data collection, and classroom observation are useful…

Discussion of wireless technology focuses on whether there is enough value in a wireless infrastructure for schools to justify the cost. Considers issues campuses must face, including access to the Internet, telecommunications, and networking; explains technical details; and describes wireless initiatives at Wake Forest University. (LRW)

In decentralized districts like Houston's, principals and superintendents, formerly serving as managers responsible for executing policy directives, are assuming ceremonial and policy-making roles. Superintendents use their symbolic "headship" to build community at banquets, lead crisis-intervention efforts, and motivate underachieving…

Describes the successful outcomes of a behavioral support and crisis-response demonstration project in Minnesota that was designed to prevent the institutionalization of individuals with developmental disabilities who displayed behavior problems. Results indicate the outreach support kept individuals out of institutions and did so cost…

Examines distance education issues for corporations and offers a measurement tool to assess corporate readiness for distance education. Topics include costs; competitive advantages; customized training; effectiveness; organizational support; instructional design; managerial support; and learner attitudes. (Author/LRW)

Analyzes subject teaching-group effectiveness in English and Welsh General Certification of Education (GCE) Advanced Level prior to a linking to resources; suggests cross-classified multilevel models with weighted random effects for disentangling student, group, and teacher effects; finds that teacher effects are considerable, but cannot find…

Discusses scenario planning, a method for evaluating capital investments by weighing their potential benefit to the future of the institution. (EV)

Discusses the relationship between technology and librarianship and suggests questioning new technology, including whether it benefits the user and whether it is accessible, affordable, and cost effective. Considers Google's success, recommends that libraries become more involved in technology development, and includes a sidebar describing new…