This report critically examines two approaches to benchmarking vocational education and training (VET) - benchmarking through performance indicators and comparative case studies. The author finds both approaches provide useful information, although the case study approach enables a more thorough analysis of particular issues and can take greater…

Connected leadership is an emerging view of leadership as an inclusive and collective networked activity occurring throughout organizations. Out of this project grew the Changing Nature of Leadership (CNL) research. Its focus: to explore the current field of leadership and forecast future trends. CNL relied on several interdependent streams of…

In 2002, five state agencies overseeing technology centers and technical colleges formed a consortium with the Council on Occupational Education, a national accreditor of workforce education institutions. The purpose was to develop common benchmarks and a common report card. Subsequently, the consortium received a 3-year grant in 2001 from the…

This report describes efforts by Achieve, Inc. to raise standards and reduce the achievement gap. In 2001, Achieve expanded its efforts to benchmark standards and accountability policies across the states, focusing on three states at the forefront of standards based reform (Maryland, Massachusetts, and Texas), while continuing to examine the…

The Department of Defense's (DOD) child development program has been identified as a model for the rest of the nation. To provide a benchmark cost estimate for Congress as it addresses child care issues, this report identifies the objectives of the military child development program, describes its operation, determines the full costs of DOD…

This report, intended to be issued annually, represents the University of Wisconsin (UW) System's effort to provide the citizens of Wisconsin with broad-based accountability of its largest public higher education system. The report focuses on two distinct approaches to the measurement of university performance. First, it presents the UW System's…

This series of lesson plans and activities deals with the economic demise of the now-defunct Soviet Union. Each of the five lessons and six activities addresses identified standards and benchmarks from the Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics. The lesson plans also address the National History Content Standards, in terms of both the…

The three-part book takes a critical look at the rise and fall of management fads in higher education since the 1960s. Part 1 introduces the fad concept and analyzes the development of seven new management systems in higher education. The chapters for Part 1 include: Chapter 1 "Seeking the Grail: The Never-Ending Quest"; chapter 2…

It would be hard to squeeze over 1,750 books on middle-level school reform onto a five-foot bookcase! With 22 experts' assistance, a manageable, three-part annotated bibliography of 80 books, reports, and journal articles covering core research areas, state reports, and critical reading was assembled. Samuel Totten's own bibliography (in section…

Conducted an analysis of achievement on the fourth and eighth grade mathematics and science results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to identify the mathematics and science content knowledge and understandings associated with the TIMSS. Two 10-member panels of experts studied each country's benchmark descriptions…

Describes the American Society for Training and Development's Benchmarking Forum, a cooperative venture among companies with strong financial and organizational commitments to employee training. Participants will identify training's best practices and generate comparative data to set a standard for their individual efforts. (Author)

Explores students' perceptions of gender issues in public relations. Finds that there were no statistically significant differences in male and female students' desires to perform managerial activities, but there were statistically significant differences in several areas (i.e. female students expect to earn less money starting out and to be…

Curriculum auditing is a quality-control process. If a course is not meeting expectations, is not serving students, or needs adjustment, the Roanoke Valley (Virginia) Governor's School for Science and Technology employs benchmarking to attain data to fix the problem or move in another direction. (MLH)

The success of corporate instructional design projects depends on how well the practitioner performs in the field under specific circumstances. Benchmarking is one of the major business strategies for continuous improvement. A thorough inquiry into how exceptional corporate instructional designers function lends insights into the instructional…

The two models in Florida's Educational Quality Benchmark System represent a new way of thinking about developing schools' work culture. The Quality Performance System Model identifies nine dimensions of work within a quality system. The Change Process Model provides a theoretical framework for changing existing beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors…