This report presents the problems of rural Pennsylvania and proposes solutions to those problems. Because the news media does not systematically report on rural situations, the public lacks awareness concerning the problems in rural Pennsylvania. Rural problems include high unemployment rates, high welfare expenditures, out migration, low…

The aim of this book is to track the historical elements of change in educational policy formation and implementation in relation to the specifics of responses to change, the possibilities of change, and attempts to achieve it. Chapter 1 assess whether the future is in past historical change or is simply illuminated by it. The notion of an…

The significant progress made in the United States' foreign language education system in recent decades is not enough. If the current system is to expand adult foreign language competency and use, both a change of perspective and a new organizational superstructure are necessary to serve those needs more directly, which in turn demands a…

Without proper background, education, guidance, and on-the-job training, a principal can create havoc within the school community. To safeguard against this potential problem, during the 1986-87 school year, the Polk County (Florida) Public Schools introduced a "principal intern" program to fully prepare its future school administrators.…

Given the current need for collegial interaction among teachers, a teacher collegial group (TCG) was designed and implemented as a participatory structure in an elementary school. An interpretive research design was used to: (1) identify interactions occurring among the six participating teachers during TCG meetings; (2) improve the TCG meeting…

This booklet is written for the general reader who wants to understand important trends in vocational education and training. It aims to give the reader an understanding of industry restructuring by answering three key questions: What is industry restructuring? Why restructure? How is industry restructuring achieved? The first part describes…

This report focuses on cost containment problems in Vermont's special education system and makes recommendations for reform. It examines the context of special education in terms of civil rights, advocacy, and individual versus system needs. The question of runaway costs in special education is addressed and supported with data from the fiscal…

The mutual interests identified by participants in this conference on the business community and Hispanic Americans, and suggestions for actions by corporations and individuals to further those interests all fit under three key terms: awareness, access, and inclusion. Participants agreed that awareness of Hispanics' dynamic population growth in…

While educational institutions in rural America present unique characteristics and offer opportunities for administrative excellence, educators have tended to overlook rural resources and the possibility of implementing educational programs in community life, which in turn, would reflect the heritage of rural culture and values. This paper…

The decline of the American railroad is explored to gain a better understanding of the nature and consequences of decline, as well as to assess implications for higher education. The following issues are addressed: changes that occurred in the railroad's environment between the early twentieth century and the present; the kind of adaptation that…

People resist change out of force of habit, out of fear, and out of hopelessness. Contemporary educators must find ways to overcome each and all of these barriers. A definite plan is needed in advance of any major program change. A good plan should always include: (1) a time schedule that capitalizes on events outside the school, using them as…

The integration of the behavioral technique of performance contracting into the family therapy modality is discussed. A case example is presented and a sample contract is included in the text. Particular attention is paid to the use of contracting as a means of circumventing initial phase resistance in families. (Author)

Obtaining technological and scientific knowledge process change incredibly and rapidly in today's society as individuals continuously must construct and reconstruct their expertise in a process of lifelong learning. For this reason, scientific literacy is also of increasing importance in individuals' workplace. So, suggested approaches to promote…

The cooperative extension service faces various changes in society that will affect its funding, programming methodology, and mission over the next five years. Most of the changes have begun to occur and to have an impact on extension and university outreach. This study utilizes a literature review, primary data analysis, and personal experience…

The idea that breaks from experience are necessary and salutary in teacher education is a response to an enduring problem of teacher education: the fact that aspiring teachers come to their preparation with set ideas about teaching, learning, and schooling that fit with the larger ideal and institutional order into which they were born. Typically,…