ERIC Number: ED240713
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1982
Pages: 198
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Setting the Stage for a Study of School Improvement. A Study of Dissemination Efforts Supporting School Improvement. People, Policies, and Practices: Examining the Chain of School Improvement, Volume I.
Loucks, Susan F.; And Others
The first in a 10-volume report, this volume provides an overview of the NETWORK school improvement study as a whole, placing it within the context of federal dissemination-related school improvement policies and programs. Existing research on these programs is examined and synthesized, and the evolution of the federal role in dissemination is traced. Also, Volume I outlines the objectives of the study, specifies and characterizes the sample, and describes the design and overall approach in detail. The study employs "state-of-the-art" data collection and analysis methodologies, including the development of "Practice Profiles" for each of the 61 practices studied, assessment of "Levels of Use" for each of the 315 teachers, content analysis of all interviews, use of causal models to determine factors influencing outcomes of school improvement, and development of unique qualitative approaches to analyzing field data. Sample schools (146) were selected for the study from those involved with 4 different federal school improvement strategies: interpersonal linkage of validated practice, commercial distribution, state administration of dissemination, and local development and invention. Data were collected at all levels of education--from federal program officers to teachers--and were subjected to a wide range of analyses, resulting in an indepth understanding of implementation and institutionalization processes. The volume concludes with a discussion of the pros and cons of the study's approach and design. (TE)
Descriptors: Content Analysis, Data Analysis, Educational Finance, Educational Improvement, Elementary Secondary Education, Federal Aid, Federal Programs, Field Studies, Government School Relationship, Politics of Education, Research Design, Research Methodology, Research Tools
Publications, The NETWORK, Inc., 290 South Main Street, Andover, MA 01810 ($18.00; 10-volume set of entire study, $150.00).
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Researchers; Policymakers
Language: English
Sponsor: National Center for Educational Statistics (DHEW/OE), Washington, DC. Div. of Data Analysis and Dissemination.
Authoring Institution: Network of Innovative Schools, Inc., Andover, MA.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A