An Examination of Standards-Based Education Relative to Research-Based Practices in Instruction and Assessment

Public schools in the United States face constant political efforts to reform our educational system. One of the major reforms, standards-based education, links all aspects of classroom instruction and assessment with identified , measureable , learning targets. Currently, there is a lack of empirical evidence that standards-based education results in improved student achievement. Explanations for that are: a wide variation in implementation across states, regions, districts, schools, and classrooms; the lack of a clear and consistent purpose and understanding of standards-based instruction; and the fact that reporting practices do not always translate into adjustments to classroom instruction

Teacher-Set Pre-Reading Purposes and Comprehension

Because some basal reader teachers\u27 guides recommend written pre-reading purposes while others suggest only oral ones, the major purpose of this study was to compare the comprehension of stories in the basal reader using three pre-reading purpose treatments: (1) written, (2) oral, and (3) no purpose (control)

Teacher-Set Pre-Reading Purposes and Comprehension

Because some basal reader teachers\u27 guides recommend written pre-reading purposes while others suggest only oral ones, the major purpose of this study was to compare the comprehension of stories in the basal reader using three pre-reading purpose treatments: (1) written, (2) oral, and (3) no purpose (control)

A Developmental Work Research (DWR) Study of Team and Organisational Learning at DHL Worldwide Express

The environment in which New Zealand businesses and public agencies operate is volatile, complex and uncertain. Organisations face a wide and competing range of demands. Managers and employees need to collaborate across functions, business units and teams. Practical research approaches are needed to help support them.This paper illustrates how a developmental work research (DWR) approach can support business process improvements and organisational/earning in continuously-changing, complex environments. We present findings from a PGSF study of cross-functional team problem-solving and learning at DHL Worldwide Express in Christchurch between April1997 and June 1998. The study used DWR methods, including analysis of videotaped meetings, developed at the University of Helsinki and the University of California San Diego by Engestrom and his colleagues (1996b).We describe how DWR was used to: analyse a process improvement initiative, or 'problem-trajectory', and how disturbances and tensions within this work activity reveal the underlying contradictions in DHL's operational and training systems; and identify opportunities for comprehensive system innovations that have a marked impact on productivity, efficiency and customer service

Educator Recruitment and Retention in Maine

The goal of this study was to generally replicate the study that was conducted in 2001 to describe and understand the declining teacher and administrator workforce in Maine and to consider policy implications and options

Response to Intervention and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support in Maine Schools: Portraits of Promising Practices

In 2020, the Maine Legislature commissioned this follow-up study to more deeply examine promising practices of Response to Intervention / multi-tiered system of supports behavior programs in Maine Schools

New Zealand Research on Skills Formation and the 'Learning Organisation': Critical Analysis of the Case Study Methodology

In recent years there has been continuing debate about what skills are needed for New Zealand's competitive business environment. Many commentators talk of a skills crisis, while some academics argue that the skills crisis is a myth. Recent research on workplace reform in seven 'leading edge' New Zealand companies highlights six crucial limitations of the debate. These are a focus on: i) individual skills rather than organisational culture, work design and employment relationships; ii) formal training rather than work-based learning; iii) the skills of school leavers rather than those of managers, supervisors and workers; and iv) technical, rather than organisational and team, skills. The debate also pays inadequate attention to v) how people learn in teams; and vi) the complexity of the current business and policy environment. In November 1993, N7JSR &D commenced a FRST -funded, three-year project on 'Economic Restructuring and Skills Formation' to address these limitations. Based on jive case studies in a range of sectors, the project examines characteristics of enterprises seeking sustainable competitive advantage by operating as a 'learning organisation'; one where the organisational structure itself is an environment for continuing education. Case study analysis is also used to understand the relationship between the company's corporate strategy and skilling process; the core skills required by managers, supervisors and workers, and how these are formed. The purpose of this paper is to outline the project's case study design, explain why this methodology has been selected and examine debates about its validity and utility

A Developmental Work Research (DWR) Study of Team and Organisational Learning at DHL Worldwide Express

The environment in which New Zealand businesses and public agencies operate is volatile, complex and uncertain. Organisations face a wide and competing range of demands. Managers and employees need to collaborate across functions, business units and teams. Practical research approaches are needed to help support them.This paper illustrates how a developmental work research (DWR) approach can support business process improvements and organisational/earning in continuously-changing, complex environments. We present findings from a PGSF study of cross-functional team problem-solving and learning at DHL Worldwide Express in Christchurch between April1997 and June 1998. The study used DWR methods, including analysis of videotaped meetings, developed at the University of Helsinki and the University of California San Diego by Engestrom and his colleagues (1996b).We describe how DWR was used to: analyse a process improvement initiative, or 'problem-trajectory', and how disturbances and tensions within this work activity reveal the underlying contradictions in DHL's operational and training systems; and identify opportunities for comprehensive system innovations that have a marked impact on productivity, efficiency and customer service