More research is needed to help states evaluate Extension delivery model alternatives. Given funding trends, access to all programs requires regional systems with county offices. The traditional county model provides access to an office but only to some programs. While there will be many differences, only states with specialized educators can make…

This article presents findings from multiple years of evaluation of STEM-focused school-university partnerships. In addition to developing the three empirically grounded models of structural partnership configurations for project effectiveness, the CSEP team used these models to examine partnership projects for their characteristic collaborative…

On February 14, leading scholars and private foundation presidents shared the stage at a Capitol Hill briefing, "Payoffs of Long-Term Investment in Education Research." Speakers emphasized that education research based on long-term funding has led to important payoffs for education policy and practice in areas such as early intervention,…

The United Nations (UN) mandate of achieving healthful living for all by the year 2015 through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is facing several challenges. In the school environment, and particularly in less developed countries (LDCs), the situation is further strained by both relatively weak infrastructure and competing governmental…

Purpose: After reviewing previous research, this study found that few school or educational studies have simultaneously explored both internal marketing and organizational commitment, and of those that have, only direct effects were examined. This study clarifies the relationship between school organization's internal marketing and teachers'…

The author reports on the "restart" option in the federal school turnaround program which offer new opportunities for charter school operators. Some of the nation's largest and best-known charter-management organizations have not jumped at the opportunity to "restart" schools with federal economic-stimulus money, but a wide range of smaller…

In 1995, the National Science Foundation (NSF) contracted with principal investigator Iris Weiss and an evaluation team at Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI) to conduct a national evaluation of the Local Systemic Change for Teacher Enhancement program (LSC). HRI conducted the core evaluation under a $6.25 million contract with NSF. This program…

Purpose: The African American Outreach Satellite (Satellite) provides educational outreach to facilitate African American recruitment for longitudinal studies at the Washington University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC). This descriptive article characterizes the Satellite's recruitment methods, plan for community engagement, results of…

Purpose: We describe the recruitment strategies and personnel and materials costs associated with two community-based research studies in a Mexican-origin population. We also highlight the role that academic-community partnerships played in the outreach and recruitment process for our studies. We reviewed study documents using case study…

The importance of stimulating learning environments and parental engagement in developing early literacy skills--and the influence of socio-economic status (SES) on the availability of such supports--is well documented. Some recent studies indicate that these same factors may also play an important role when it comes to neurological development.…

This study examined the personal interactions and experiences of six Virginia-based YMCA Aquatics Directors and Instructors in regards to the instruction of individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Overall, the main purpose of this study was to offer more insight into the rising challenges faced within the area of adapted aquatics…

In this article, the author describes the empirical studies that have investigated whether play (mostly social play) is rewarding. He then discusses the brain circuits and neurotransmitters that underlie the pleasurable aspects of play. He concludes that the pleasure of play has the ability to reinforce learning activities and that the brain's…

Continuing education units enable institutions of higher education to extend university resources to the larger community for the purposes of addressing key issues in the community, region, and state. Continuing education units have been engaged in strategic planning exercises since the I980's and have developed organizational models and methods…

The basis for evaluating projects in an organizational IT project portfolio includes complexity factors, arguments/criteria, and procedures, with various implications. The purpose of this research was to develop a conceptual framework for IT project proposal evaluation. The research involved using a heuristic roadmap and the mind-mapping method to…

Droves of school turnaround providers are chasing the massive federal infusion of funds flowing into failing schools. They arrive armed with glossy materials, impressive sounding claims, and, often, citing their prior relationships or experiences with one's school to support their promises of great service and impressive outcomes. But, are their…