Report of the Investigative Research on the Reconstruction of Schools in Conjunction with Community Development – Records and Examination of the Process of School Facilities’ Reconstruction from Tsunami Damage after the Great East Japan Earthquake –

Contents1. Background of the Investigative Research 1(1) Damage to public school facilities(2) The government’s measures for reconstruction of schools in conjunction with community development (efforts in collaboration of three ministries)(3) Building a support system for efforts on reconstruction of schools in conjunction with community development2. Survey of school facility relocation plans, etc., in response to tsunami damage 2(1) Questionnaire survey(2) Interview survey3. Examination of school resumption and school facility reconstruction plans 3(1) Damage to school facilities for which relocation, etc. are planned(2) Actions when resuming school(3) Actions concerning reconstruction plans4. Dispatching experts to local governments planning relocation of school facilities 10(1) Request for support from Ishinomaki City(2) Support for Ishinomaki City(3) Outline of the basic plan5. Identified issues and countermeasures 17(1) Issues and countermeasures at the time of school resumption(2) Issues and countermeasures in reconstruction of schools in conjunction with community developmen

Measures of School Climate: Needed Improvements Suggested by a Review of the Organizational Literature

17 pagesResearchers who use the concept of school climate in their research should be aware of the ways in which climate can be measured and what the different methods of measurement imply. Among the typical kinds of measures of school climate currently in use are normative approaches that focus on students' and teachers' perceptions of school norms, ecological approaches that focus on classroom behavior as perceived by participants, and external observation methods that bring in outside observers to collect quantitative or qualitative data. The literature on organizational climate suggests additional factors to consider when selecting measurement techniques or analyzing the findings of research. First,conceptual distinctions have been found between organizational climate, group climate, and psychological climate. Second, questions exist concerning whether several climates may exist in an organization if the members of the organization are not in agreement in their perceptions. Third, the various methods for measuring climate may not share the same level of validity.Fourth, the effects of environmental change on perceptions are unclear. Fifth,differences among individuals may account for some variations in perception of climate. Specific research efforts are cited as typical examples of the different measurement methods discussed

Learning Environments: A Review of the Literature on School Environments and Student Achievement

65 pagesTheoretical traditions concerning school environments and student achievement are described, and their insights are linked with analyses of school and classroom interactions to develop a simple conceptual model of environmental influences on student achievement. The literature regarding environmental influences is then reviewed, and.the last section of the paper summarizes the analysis and suggests specific areas for future research. The literature review suggests that the learning environment can enhance individual achievement somewhat, beyond the level expected given individual background traits. This enhancement occurs through altering the "non-cognitive" traits--by developing an atmosphere in which students are expected and feel able to achieve. The researchers' conceptual model provides a framework to describe these influences, divided into factors of group norms and group relationships. It is suggested that school analysts should recognize the attachments to schools that students display and acknowledge that relationships within schools are often better described with a conflict model than a consensus model. The basis of conflict needs to be determined in order to enhance achievement. The task for researchers and school officials is understanding why this resistance to officially sanctioned norms occurs and how it may be adequately addressed to promote learning. A 13-page bibliography is appended

Women Getting Together and Getting Ahead: Sex Equity in Educational Leadership

136 pagesAs the staff of the Sex Equity in Educational Leadership Project (SEEL), we are pleased to share some results of our efforts to increase the number of women administrators in Oregon's public schools. Sine our work began in 1976, there has been an increase in the number of women in administrative positions, in graduate programs of educational administration, in certification programs, and in applications for administrative positions. Although we believe we can claim some responsibility for the change, we are of course, part of a larger social movement that is changing many institutions

Sex Equity in Educational Leadership: An Analysis of a Planned Social Change Project

130 pagesThe Sex Equity in Educational Leadership (SEEL) project was designed to develop a model for achieving sex equity in school administration in Oregon that could then be adopted by other states. This volume is one of three final documents produced by the SEEL project. The first chapter, describing the project as it was originally conceived, is followed by a discussion of the project site, funding agency, special skills and interaction of staff members, and the changes that occurred over the years in the activities proposed to implement change. Chapters 3 to 5 examine in detail the various change attempts and assess their effectiveness.These include efforts to raise individuals' awareness of sex inequities in education and to encourage individual women to aspire to administrative careers;activities designed to alter the organizational practices and procedures that have helped maintain the sex imbalance in administration; and attempts to deal with the hiring process. The last two chapters explore the legacy left by SEEL for possible future change and develop recommendations for others. The appendix contains the raw data and complete results of analyses of quantitative comparisons of the sex ratio on administrative jobs, in administrative training programs, and in 'state and national convention programs

A Comparative Analysis of Competency Frameworks for Youth Workers in the Out-of-School Time Field

Research suggests that the quality of out-of-school time (OST) programs is related to positive youth outcomes and skilled staff are a critical component of high quality programming. This descriptive case study of competency frameworks for youth workers in the OST field demonstrates how experts and practitioners characterize a skilled youth worker. A comparative analysis of 11 competency frameworks is conducted to identify a set of common core competencies. A set of 12 competency areas that are shared by existing frameworks used in the OST field are identified. The age of youth being served, descriptions of mastery for each competency area, an emphasis on developing mid-level managers, and incorporating research emerge as factors that should be addressed in future competency frameworks