Presented are four award-winning projects from the 1983 American College Testing Program (ACT)/National University Continuing Education Association (NUCEA) competition for innovations in continuing education. The projects are categorized according to educational audience. In the category of instruction "Seminars, Courses, and Workshops for…

In the context of large-scale primary and secondary school innovation projects in Belgium and the Netherlands, this paper examines the adaptation and construction of a version of the SoC-Questionnaire (SoC-Q) for Teachers. The SoC-Q was adapted from the Concerns-Based Adoption Model designed to identify teachers' concerns about an innovation. The…

This issue of Research and Educational Practice Improvement Notes discusses three recent studies on schooling: (1) "Changing Our Schools; The Realities," by Kenneth Tye; (2) "Innovation Up Close: A Field Study in Twelve School Settings," Volume Four of a study conducted by David P. Crandall and associates; and (3)…

Institutions of higher education must develop a strategy and capacity for self-renewal through innovation. Strong leadership is required to respond to off-campus constituent needs without loss of power. Awareness of problems associated with innovation is essential. Such problems are the failure to anticipate failure, assumption that innovation…

As part of the Study of Dissemination Efforts Supporting School Improvement, researchers looked at how the activities of, perceptions of, and opinions about the building administrator affect the outcome of efforts to implement new practices. This paper describes a sample of building administrators working in the 146 school districts that…

In order for education to evolve from a craft to a profession, a spirit of inquiry must be infused into the beliefs and activities of education faculty members and practicing teachers. For faculty members in professional schools, the responsibilities of teaching, research, and service should be integrated activities for which inquiry serves as the…

This paper describes an innovative approach to teaching a college course on self-management/self-control. Following a brief background statement on the history and applications of self-management, as well as the deficits of traditional self-management instruction, multimodal therapy (Lazarus, 1976, 1981) is discussed as the conceptual framework…

Institutional rewards and practical problems are associated with access to information technology. Pursuit of rewards may offer teachers career recognition and profile in school systems but may also, if taken up in an unreflective way, lead to injustice in the classroom and hinder achieving desirable social and academic goals. This peril is…

This project investigated policy statements, training given to academic staff, and the reward structure and career path for academics in distance education among four major providers of distance education in Australasia. Seventy academic staff members from two universities and two colleges were interviewed and asked to complete a questionnaire.…

This Digest advocates alternative educational programs as ways to reduce dropout rates, increase academic and personal satisfaction and achievement, provide real options for struggling students, and generate improvement in all grade levels. The study discusses five concerns in relation to alternative school programs: (1) issues raised regarding…

A summary of proceedings of a conference on articulation by the American Dental Hygienists' Association is presented. Introductions to each paper are made by Cheryl Westphal. Papers are as follows: "Innovate or Rennovate?" (Connie Tussing); "Internal Forces Influencing Innovation" (Arch Lugenbeel); "Regional Linkage Programs" (Steven Jensen);…

This paper recounts the modification of a specific communication context, teacher evaluation, to produce improved instruction and better teacher-supervisor relationships. Dissatisfied with a checklist-based evaluation system considered moribund by many, a committee of teachers, administrators, and educational professionals at Anchorage (Alaska)…

This booklet describes how the departments and ministries of education in the 10 Canadian provinces and in the Yukon are using technology to ensure that elementary and secondary students in small and rural schools have access to a full range of educational programs. Services to adults in basic education courses are also included. Activities range…

This report is comprised of brief summaries of various research-based and theoretical concepts and techniques--taken mostly from business management--that might improve educational administration. The topics discussed include (1) a list of successful business practices identified by the book, "In Search of Excellence"; (2) Theories X, Y,…

As educators across the nation launch into frenzied efforts to "do something" in response to the various recommendations of commissions on educational excellence, many are forgetting that knowledge of how to implement change is available. This paper focuses on three concerns that educators must face when fitting general recommendations…