(1999). Co-Mentoring Support Groups in Higher Education. This paper presents a model for a co-mentoring support group among graduate students and faculty, using as a case study the development of a faculty-student support group in a college of education at a university. This support group began in 1995 and consisted of 11 participants who met formally for one year and have continued to meet informally since that time. Over time, the members created solidarity by describing personal research questions and preferred methodologies, and by sharing the impact of the changing direction of school leadership on their work. It is concluded that faculty-student support groups can provide a viable context for identifying salient mentoring themes, for envisioning them in constructive and holistic terms, and for experimenting with role playing as co-mentors. In addition, an expanded definition of mentoring can facilitate mentor identity development and deepen the capacity for human connection, and an understanding of broader socialization patterns can… [PDF]
(2004). Relaxed Intensity. Principal Leadership, v4 n8 p28-31 Apr. Relaxed intensity refers to a professional philosophy, demeanor, and way of life. It is the key to being an effective educational leader. To be successful one must be relaxed, which means managing stress efficiently, having fun, and enjoying work. Intensity allows one to get the job done and accomplish certain tasks or goals. Educational leaders are often perceived as having a great deal of influence and power within their specific arena. The reality is that they only control the structure and culture within their school. The rest is what they inherit or are given through the district's policies and practices. Maintaining a relaxed intensity means focusing on those things over which one has direct influence and sharing authority and accountability with staff members. At Kettering Middle School, educational leaders focus on the three areas that they have direct influence on: their time, their working and learning environment, and their staff members. This article describes how a… [Direct]
(2004). Digitize This: The Cultural Studies e-Archive Project. Review of Education, Pedagogy & Cultural Studies, v26 n1 p23-46 Jan. Napster, a program for sharing MP3 files, has transformed the way music files are shared over the Internet. In its heyday, anyone looking for free music just had to search Napster's database for the artists or songs they wanted and download them for free. Because of its operations, Napster was successfully sued for violation of copyright and has long since been forced to remove all copyrighted files from its database. In academia, there are already a number of similar sites that offer free scholarly journals. In this article, the author examines whether it would be possible for an academic equivalent to Napster that deals with written texts as opposed to music files to exist. He then discusses the fact that copyright does not seem to be a problem when it comes to e-print archiving, as authors are submitting pre-print versions of their work. The author discusses the consequences of this system for the way in which scholarly research is conceived, acquired, communicated, exchanged,… [Direct]
(2004). Peer Observation: A Tool for Staff Development or Compliance?. Journal of Further and Higher Education, v28 n2 p219-228 May. Peer observation has become a feature of university practice over the last decade, the primary impetus for its introduction being the political drive to raise teaching quality via the development and sharing of 'good practice'. Peer observation within higher education (HE) involves observing colleagues in the classroom and has the further aim of supporting continuing professional development (CPD) through peer learning. This article is based upon a research study of a typical observation scheme as introduced within a new university prior to a quality review. It is underpinned by the deconstruction of the university's observation documentation and focuses upon the experience of a teaching observation trio taking part in this formal peer observation process over a 2-year period, before and after a Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) subject review. The deconstruction of the university's documentation, combined with the actual experience of the observation trio studied, reveals issues of… [Direct]
(1995). Long Range Plan for Library Services in Wisconsin. 1994-1999. Bulletin No. 95122. The purpose of this long-range plan is to describe the status of library development in Wisconsin, the needs and problems of libraries, and the possible ways of meeting these needs over the next 5 years. The plan reflects reports submitted to the Division for Libraries and Community Learning staff, surveys, consultations with librarians and trustees, and various statewide planning efforts and studies involving librarians throughout the state. The primary focus is on statewide and state-level library activities, division statutory requirements and services, and federal Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) priorities. The plan is intended to provide frameworks for both division and statewide planning activities, and local library and system planning efforts. The Division's organizational structure and mission statement, publications, 1993-94 highlights, goals for library service, LSCA policies and 1994-95 LSCA activities are provided. The five Wisconsin library service goals… [PDF]
(1993). Reinventing the Federal Student Loan Program. A Proposal To Ensure the Stability of the Federal Student Loan Program, Improve Service to Students and Save Taxpayers Money. This report proposes reform recommendations in the Federal Student Loan Program that are intended to reduce government (and taxpayer) costs, allow for the incorporation of the National Service Initiative, and provide more flexible repayment terms for borrowers. The proposal provides for an evaluation period for direct government lending, the adoption of broad student loan program simplification, and the reform of student loan delivery and financing systems providing a budget savings to the government of more than $4.7 billion over 5 years. Other aspects of the proposal include: (1) immediate implementation of the National Service Initiative at the local, state, and regional levels using the existing student loan administrative structure; (2) immediate access to a variety of student loan repayment options to all student borrowers, including income contingent repayment and traditional repayment and community service forgiveness; (3) the creation of a single, national federal student… [PDF]
(1992). TENET: Texas Education Network. The Texas Education Agency sought to create an enhanced electronic communications network (TENET) capable of transmitting information among and between the members of the public education system in Texas. They contracted with the Texas Higher Education Network (THEnet), an existing distributed network which is an NSF (National Science Foundation) regional network and connected to other networks worldwide through the Internet. THEnet includes online library catalogs, educational computer archives, public databases, and instructional hypermedia libraries, and provides a link for public education with higher education. Basic components of TENET include: electronic mail, an electronic bulletin board, electronic conferencing, electronic databases, workstation communication software, Telnet (a capability which permits resource sharing between networks), and remote file transfer. Forty educators became Master Trainers in the areas of use of the network, conference moderation, and… [PDF]
(1988). Agreement between Redwoods Community College District and College of the Redwoods Faculty Organization, September 1, 1988 through August 31, 1991. The collective bargaining agreement between the Redwoods Community College District Board of Trustees and the College of the Redwoods Faculty Organization, for the period from September, 1988 through August, 1991, is presented. First, a three-page administrative recommendation concerning the compensable teaching load for faculty members conducting independent study programs is provided. Then, the contract is presented, covering the following topics: bargaining agent recognition; wages and working conditions, including provisions related to instruction time, minimum class size, district policies, discrimination, teaching load units, faculty with underloads, full- and part-time salaries, and compensation for faculty work experience coordination and teacher coordination; leaves; staff insurance program; early retirement benefits; reduced workload program for staff aged 55 and over; reduced workload for staff under 55 years of age; tax sheltered annuity program; grievance procedures;…
(1976). The Impact of Faculty Collective Bargaining on Campus Administrators. Faculty unions have achieved a prominent place in American higher education. This study attempts to focus on the consequences arising from collective bargaining in higher education. The Stanford Project on Academic Governance was begun in 1971 as an effort to study the impact of collective bargaining on governance and decisionmaking in higher education. The two phases of the project studied 240 institutions regarding general academic governance and over 300 institutions regarding collective bargaining in particular. In addition, seven intensive case studies were conducted in institutions that were quite diverse in their characteristics and experiences. The findings of this study are examined as they relate to administrators. The discussion is in two parts: looking at the effect collective bargaining has on components within administrative ranks; and assessing the way management processes change when collective bargaining occurs. Specific areas discussed are the shifting power… [PDF]
(1981). Instructional Planning. Final Report. ISSOE Managing Student Progress. The Instructional Support System for Occupational Education (ISSOE) Instructional Planning Project was intended to develop procedures for identifying successful instructional materials, suitable for teaching specific ISSOE competencies. A form was developed for use by teachers in reporting materials they were using in their classes with success. Two workshops were held at which teachers were trained to evaluate instructional materials using the form developed. Resources guides were also compiled that contained pertinent information on teacher-identified curriculum products, teaching strategy, and existing evidence of successful alternative applications. A retrieval system was then developed for use in accessing basic academic skill and technical skill materials for vocational education. Articulation with related ISSOE projects centered around sharing of project staff, integration of activities with field test and dissemination activities, and coordination of presentations regarding…
(1977). Skills Screener: Guide to Administration and Scoring. Developed by the SCAT (Support Competence-Assistance and Training) Project staff, the three documents provide information on the SCAT screener (a series of subtests for identifying high-priority or potentially handicapped students), the initial assessment phase of systematic instruction, and probes for reading and math which are designed to be used as part of the initial assessment procedures. The first document covers background and development, teacher preparation, administration, scoring, and using results of the SCAT screener. (The bulk of this document is comprised of copies of the reading and mathematics skills screening subtests.) The second document covers the five steps involved in initial assessment: group screening in the regular classroom, using screening information to identify potentially handicapped students, 5-day skill probing of high priority students, evaluating assessment information, and reporting and sharing information. Appendixes to this document include…
(2001). The Aims and Objectives of the Monitoring the Future Study and Progress toward Fulfilling Them as of 2001. Monitoring the Future Occasional Paper 52. Monitoring the Future is an ongoing program of research intended to assess the changing lifestyles, values, and preferences of American youth. This publication, from the occasional paper series, describes a study that monitors drug use and potential explanatory factors among American secondary school students, college students, and young adults. The study aims to monitor drug use and related factors in order to provide social indicators of historical change, to distinguish the three types of change (age, period, cohort), and to analyze results at both individual and aggregate levels. Eleven specific objectives of the study are described and each is explained, including its logic and rationale, relevant theory, literature cited, and progress. Objectives 1 through 3 concern drug use and potential explanatory factors; Objective 4 distinguishes which kinds of change are occurring for various types of drug use; Objectives 5 through 9 study the causes, consequences, and developmental… [PDF]
(2005). Leadership as Learning: Conceptualizing the Process. Community College Journal of Research & Practice, v29 n9-10 p689-704 Oct-Nov. Community college leaders face new and diverse challenges, often requiring different orientations to leadership than were effective previously. Yet, focusing on leadership as a series of career stages through which particular skills and techniques are learned often leaves leaders without the capacity to do the adaptive work required of their changing organizations. Conceptualizing leadership as an on-going process of learning relinquishes the need for a specific career orientation, and focuses on developing and sharing leadership throughout the college. Taking this approach uncovers mental models that affect how administrators see the world and, therefore, act within any environment. It shifts the goal of leadership preparation to understanding the concepts (and processes) of transforming organizational reality, challenging organizational status quo, and of deep change. It also ties leadership more directly to creating learning environments for leaders and others, which is important… [Direct]
(1992). Professional Periodicals Read by Elementary School Library Media Specialists. The purpose of this study was to determine what professional periodicals and their contents were being read by elementary school library media specialists. The relationship of professional status to the number of professional periodicals read was also examined. Of 140 school library media specialists surveyed, 111 responded to the questionnaire. It was found that \School Library Journal,\\Media & Methods,\\Instructor,\ and \Mailbox (Primary)\ were read (either cover to cover, in specific sections, or browsed) by over 57% of respondents. More than 70% of the respondents have never read seven of the nine professional technology-related periodicals listed on the questionnaire. Reviews and the table of contents were sections of journals read by over 90% of the respondents while job classifications were read by only 40.5%. Using analysis of variance, no significance was found between the number of professional periodicals read and professional status. It is concluded that periodicals… [PDF]
(1981). College/Corporate Partnerships: Studies in Cooperative Efforts in Education and Staff Development. Data and case studies from research on 116 colleges and universities involved in efforts to develop programs to meet corporate needs for personnel and personnel development are reported. The sample was nominated by a national panel and is regarded as exemplary in efforts at corporate/college partnerships. Responses of presidents and profiles of institutional efforts are included. It is found that studying labor market needs and fashioning programs to fit students into the market after graduation can be important elements of successful programs. Expansion of on- and off-campus business and technical programs plus a reorganization of course requirement structure was necessary in some programs. Cooperative efforts among corporations and colleges have been increasing, but in-house corporate programs have also increased. In some college programs, credit is given for on-the-job experience as well as coursework. The biggest roadblock from an institutional point of view seems to be the…