This commentary on a paper by Douglas Detterman and others (EC 604 995), on assessing basic cognitive abilities in young adults with and without mental retardation, argues that variables measuring correct responding and variables measuring response latency or speed are two aspects of the same underlying continuum of speed and efficiency of…

Labor market planning techniques must take into account the dynamic nature of economies. A better approach than labor needs forecasting is use of labor market signals developed by monitoring wage and employment changes and evaluating training programs. (SK)

There are numerous historical precedents for today's demands for economic efficiency and accountability in schools. This paper examines comprehensive nineteenth-century accountability system ("Payment by Results") that endured in English and Welsh elementary schools from 1862 until 1897. The amount of the yearly governmental grant…

A study using microcomputer algorithms for more efficient management of six common pediatric care problems found improvements in all performance measures with computer algorithm use. However, use was discontinued after five weeks because the six physicians perceived the algorithms as too tedious for routine care. (Author/MSE)

The hypothesis that attentional demands of word recognition covary with other measures of reading efficiency was tested with 27 undergraduates performing naming and probe-detection tasks singly and in combination. Findings support the assumption that attentional demands of basic reading are a source of differences in reading skill. (SLD)

Increasingly, college textbooks written to the specifications of individual professors are being produced on demand by custom publishers, often prepared very quickly to contain up-to-date information. Students prefer them to photocopied packets of readings. The trend is a reaction to the emergence of information-on-demand computer networks. (MSE)

A corporate leader argues that higher education leaders must be prepared to manage change, and suggests focusing on results, communicating straight and openly, and delegating responsibility. An institutionwide communication program and greater efficiency are key elements in management change. (MSE)

A method is presented for determining the optimal number of conditions to use in measurement designs when resource constraints are imposed. The method is illustrated using a multivariate two-facet design, and extensions to other designs are discussed. (SLD)

Illustrates the uses of operations research (OR) in higher education administration by reviewing the higher education system's most significant operational problems: resource allocation, financial planning, budgeting, formation of student project groups, scheduling and classroom allocation, student registration, tuition and fee structure…

A system implemented at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's medical school department of microbiology and immunology to track grant proposals before submission is described. Stress associated with proposal deadlines has been drastically reduced. Strategies used include a new submission process, development of an ideal timeline, and use of a…

In Portland, an Oregon state commission wants to create a federation of public and private institutions to meet local demand through better coordination. The effort may involve having some institutions refocus curricula to social and economic issues facing the community, seeking less state and more private funds, and joint faculty hiring. (MSE)

Some school critics blame democracy for fostering waste and unhappy workers. Making reconstruction of our economic system the educational reform agenda removes chance to redress many social problems or reenvision democracy. Public education reform must embrace a kind of democracy that values full and free discussion by all school community…

An effort to enhance quality and efficiency at the University of Florida was designed to produce quick results without involving many employees and focused on the accounts payable department. Flowcharting identified inefficiencies and pinpointed opportunities for improvement in labor-intensive processes, mailings, check registers, reports,…

Sequential, standardized patient-based tests were given to medical students at the University of Maastricht (Netherlands); the first test was a screening test that evaluated the efficiency/validity of cutoff scores. Findings indicated that stringent pass/fail cutoff scores on the screening test produced optimal results. Fewer than 0.2 percent of…

Examines the efficiency of the Imen-Delphi (ID) technique as an electronic procedure for conferencing that helps participants clarify their opinions and expectations regarding preferable and possible futures. Describes an electronic version of the original ID procedure and tested its efficiency among a group of experts on virtual reality and…