If school-based management means shift in decision-making authority, all school operations and organizational roles will be affected. Progress may be impeded by participants' traditional mind sets about power, winning and losing, problem solving, model programs, and everyday reality. These and other implementation problems may be resolved using…

Supports the North Central Association's focus on student outcomes in the accreditation process. Identifies obstacles confronting reform efforts (e.g., the beliefs that learning outcomes should be normally distributed, that education's purpose is to select talent, and that curriculum and instruction are ends in themselves). Discusses strategies…

The article describes a large, middle class suburban high school's controversial efforts to make improvements, noting its difficulty in convincing parents, teachers, and school board members that a school with a fine reputation did not really provide students with the education they needed for the future. (SM)

Although the benefits of student-centered or collaborative learning are real, the arguments made for them often appear ideological rather than pedagogical and rather than encouraging diversity, require revision of fundamental aspects of cognitive personality. What is needed is a broad view of the variety in teachers' and students' intellectual…

Scientific and technological advances affecting dental education in the near future are examined, including the growing role of saliva in diagnosis, direct imaging methods, biomaterials research, computer-aided design and manufacturing, molecular biology, and new restorative dentistry. It is argued that dentistry should be a fully recognized…

Five major considerations to be addressed by college development programs before upgrading a computer system include: (1) evaluating functions of the current system; (2) assessing system capabilities needed; (3) discovering what users need; (4) deciding whether to patch an older system, build a new one in house, or buy it complete; and (5)…

If competency-based dental education is implemented in the United States, it will have a significant impact on postdoctoral general dentistry, particularly in the areas of accreditation standards and the specificity of competencies required. Development of a core of standards for all postdoctoral programs is recommended. (MSE)

A survey of 522 colleges and universities investigated the impact of health care reform proposals. Results provide an overview of typical current medical plan design, including coverage for part- and full-time employees, and give insight into attitudes toward the idea of regional health alliances, a potentially useful reform approach. (MSE)

Allison Rossett and Roger Kaufman, developers of two contrasting needs assessment models (the purposed-based assessment and organizational elements models), answer questions about using their models as frameworks for addressing performance problems affecting public education. The models present contrasting, yet complementary, approaches to needs…

Describes the Total Quality Management (TQM) effort undertaken three years ago by Jackson Community College (JCC), in Michigan. Discusses the history of JCC, its early TQM efforts, the basic tenets of TQM, steps taken by JCC to integrate TQM practices into its evaluation methods, and benefits of TQM. (MAB)

Trends in college student activism and volunteer community service are examined. It is concluded that this generation of students is redefining social consciousness by focusing on practical and rational responses to immediate social issues. Colleges and universities are urged to help students reflect and build on volunteer experiences. (MSE)

Eureka (Illinois) Middle School has found some user-friendly ways to clarify communication and keep learning personal and accessible. Despite resource deficits, options and output have increased by actively using the school's philosophy: shared ownership for student success. Various community-building programs for students, faculty, and parents…

To gain others' consistent and active cooperation, administrators should convince faculty and staff that a task should be done. An administrator who uses persuasion communicates a degree of respect that strengthens the supervisor-subordinate relationship. Compliance-gaining strategies may be classified according to expectancies and consequences,…

A November 1993 conference in Seattle, Washington, is recommended as a national model for initiating change in public policy as it impacts adult learning disability and literacy issues. Participants included a coalition of federal, state, and local policymakers and agencies as well as adults with learning disabilities and persons providing…

The Secretary of Labor discusses the relationship of education and the changing domestic and global economic climate. Educators are urged to work cooperatively to assure that growing disparities between economic groups does not produce a two-tiered learning society in which only some are prepared for lifelong learning. (MSE)