A survey of over 2,000 small and midsized enterprises in the West Midlands, England, found employers had relatively high awareness of and interest in National Vocational Qualifications but low actual implementation. Causes included negative experiences, high cost, inflexibility, and mismatch with needs. (SK)

A Louisville elementary school has a brighter future, thanks to the Kentucky Education Reform Act. Kennedy School's reform efforts predated the 1990 state law, but teachers and administrators credit KERA with providing appropriate resources and a psychic push toward success. Although the school suffered a performance drop in 1996, it has made vast…

Teams can boost creativity, morale, and communication, but they can also unleash disharmony, create tension, and waste time. To maximize teaming benefits, administrators must share authority, cultivate teacher leadership, train all team members, use situational leadership, model effective team leader behaviors, provide incentives, support each…

Case studies of five British retail companies with National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) identified factors affecting implementation: (1) their motivation to offer NVQs; (2) their initial reactions; (3) extent of implementation; (4) resource requirements; and (5) benefits/disadvantages of competency-based qualifications. It is recommended that…

Discusses advantages and limitations of online exams, describes available software tools for creating computer-based tests (CGI, JavaScript, commercial programs, course authoring tools), and offers suggestions for implementation. (JOW)

This article emphasizes the value of an evidence-based and public health perspective in managing disruptive behavior. Information about comprehensive school-based programs and classroom management techniques for disruptive behavior disorders is presented and the important role school psychologists can play in implementing these programs discussed.…

Describes a project that the authors created to develop an English/Language Arts standards-based curriculum. Discusses the rationale for the project, the theoretical base, the search for teachers, and the implication of a focus unit. Hopes that the model of creating curriculum described here will be useful for many teachers throughout this world…

Describes the implementation of an in-home therapeutic recreation (TR) program with an elderly woman living in a naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) by a fourth-year TR student. The program helped meet her physical, social, and cognitive needs and re-stimulate her interests. Results suggest that in-home TR can be beneficial, and TR…

Revisions to Internet standards, the Next Generation Internet Protocol (IPng), will be tested with initiatives such as Internet II, a high-speed Internet being developed by a consortium of universities, and the vBNS, a National Science Foundation and MCI project. Argues that librarians should be aware of these changes if they want to participate…

A study of four stakeholder groups identified 23 instructional design and development (ID) project success factors and grouped them into four categories: tangible resources, curriculum development, training strategies, and implementation support. Data analysis revealed differences in the importance attached to the factors by the stakeholder groups…

Implementation of Florida Choices, a computer-assisted career guidance system, was evaluated through a survey of 17 high schools. Implementation enablers, barriers, and resource needs were consistent across school type and size. Staff training, collaboration, and adequate resources were key implementation issues. (SK)

Describes Idaho cooperative extension projects funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Decisions for Health Initiatives, focusing on community development and health. Explains how the projects succeed with limited funding and resources. (SK)

Ljubljana University in Slovenia is developing its first baccalaureate nursing curriculum within the framework of the World Health Organization's health for all initiative. The eight-year delay in implementation is due to opposition from the health care system and the absence of precise procedures for curriculum validation. (SK)

Provides suggestions to ensure the success of electronic performance support systems (EPSS) and electronic learning, including creating hybrid solutions; aligning EPSS with business objectives and performance requirements; change management efforts; and rapid application development to lower costs, shrink schedules, and improve quality.…

Discussion of management of organizational change focuses on a study of managers that determined why organizational changes fail and why they succeed. Highlights include type of change; complexity of change efforts; success rates; sponsorship; motivation factors; measures of success; correlates of success and failures; and enablers and barriers to…