This final article in a three-part series on strategic planning focuses on implementation and continuous improvement at the mega level of planning. Topics include steps for a proactive and holistic strategic planning activity, linking strategic planning to operations, integration versus separation of functions, and organizing for synergy. (LRW)

To facilitate more educational change, leaders may want to create a new mission for strategic planning that reflects the complexity of a postmodern world. By focusing on principles such as the spirit of people working together for a common cause, educational institutions can continue to be better places for students. (Author/MKA)

Includes a discussion of technology's use in counseling at the beginning of the new millennium. Contains reviews and implications of several articles that appeared in the first issue of the "Journal of Technology in Counseling" and some recent technology related developments by the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision and…

Explains how to conduct an organization's performance analysis that focuses on customer needs by identifying the desired state, determining the current state, and identifying the current or predicted gap in performance. Considers the organization's mission, a vision or strategic plan, the organization's cultural values, and organizational goals.…

Examines employer-assisted tuition support as a means that organizations use to improve human performance, considers how these programs are aligned with the overall strategic interests of the organization, and makes recommendations about how to measure performance improvement efforts in alignment with organization strategy. (LRW)

Each year, Austin Independent School District Department of Research and Evaluation (DRE) staff develop a plan of work to describe the scope of work for the coming year. The plans that make up this document identify programs to be evaluated and services to be provided by DRE staff and provide the blueprints for evaluation that staff will follow…

This paper systematically illustrates the value and role of human resource development in the implementation of the Western China development strategy. It analyzes in details some current human resource issues constraining the implementation of the Western China development strategy and those on the sustainable development process of economic…

Stymied by how to manage anticipated funding decreases and spiraling costs? Bleak funding projections can result in significant reductions or elimination of programs, regardless of their impact on student achievement. Why? One culprit is the tendency to use past practices to define future spending. Because educators often use previous years'…

In the hyper-competitive world of intercollegiate athletics, where programs vie to win national titles, attract talent, and build the best facilities, keeping a close eye on trends and emerging practices is a necessity. With that in mind, "The Chronicle of Higher Education" asked more than three dozen experts to describe the changes they expect to…

Strategic planning can become downright treacherous if one's institution depends heavily on technology, because technology changes course frequently. Technological change is somewhat predictable, and doing nothing is not an option. A number of complex factors hasten technological change. Limits on performance, breakthrough technology, market…

The emphasis on short-term accountability measures has often prioritised the use of short-term management strategies to meet test and Ofsted measures. Moving away from short-termism to more fundamental consideration of sustainable leadership is the focus of this paper. While it would be naive or unrealistic to suggest that school leaders do not…

A few years ago, the University of Pennsylvania's Division of Human Resources began a data-based approach to the development of strategic plans and the measurement of programmatic effectiveness. One of its more successful endeavors in this area has been the creation of an HR scorecard that compares and contrasts individual school or administrative…

This case study examined a multi-college community college district in northern California in a primarily rural area, to understand how their practices compared to management best practices designed to improve student success, barriers that may exist in implementing best practices, and how the institution may improve its own practices. The problem…

This study examines the use of Internet polling at schools to gain student input for the improvement of learning conditions to assist in the continuous improvement planning. The study consists of 2006 respondents and three different schools containing the middle school child. The grades included in the study were 5, 6, 7, and 8. Although two…

The purpose of this guide is to help families prepare for those times during which their child moves from one environment to another and from one developmental stage to another. The focus of the guide is on the role of assistive technology (AT) during those times--how to consider a child's evolving AT needs, how to identify and address the AT…