Understanding and predicting the yield in the MBA admissions process

This paper examines the factors influencing theyield — the proportion of accepted applicants that confirm their intention to attend — in the admissions process for the MBA program of the school of management at a large metropolitan university. A stochastic model of a student's MBA program choice decision is presented. Using the resulting logistic probability model, the authors examine the impact of student traits (both aptitude-related and non-aptitude-related) and program characteristics, known to admissions officials, on the probability of confirmation. The results of the analysis provide a basis for measuring the dimensions of the market for educational services this MBA program provides, suggest a strategic response to this market, and offer a way to measure the profitability of various strategic response options. In particular, the results demonstrate that financial aid awards can increase dramatically the probability of confirmation and that confirmation probabilities are affected significantly by non-aptitude-related student characteristics.     

Professional development: a key to Kentucky's educational reform effort

Despite its essential role in educational reform, professional development typically does not receive adequate support in systemic reform efforts. This article presents an exception—a state that incorporated professional development as a central priority in its reform effort and four schools that used state resources to build their capacity for enacting the reform agenda. We describe central features of Kentucky's approach to professional development, characterize elements of professional development within the four schools, and discuss how these elements promoted three dimensions of school capacity: individual teachers’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions; professional community; and program coherence. Based on this “image of the possible,” we offer recommendations for professional development that supports systemic, standards-based educational reform.     

A System at Risk: College Outreach Programs and the Educational Neglect of Underachieving Latino High School Students

This literature review examines the ways in which college and university outreach programs impact Latino (and other minorities) high school students. This article demonstrates that the outreach programs outlined do aid in closing the gap of college enrollment for Latinos. However, a review of three representative programs—AVID, the University of California's Early Academic Outreach Program, and Upward Bound—reveals that the Latino students who exhibit the most need are summarily excluded from participating in the programs, thus leaving them on the margins of the educational system. One of the conclusions of this study is that the problem lies with the political nature of the programs, which causes them to have stringent eligibility criteria.     

Integrating academic and practical knowledge in a teacher leaders' development program

This study examines an attempt to encourage integration of knowledge learned in the academy with knowledge learned in practice as a means to challenge educational practitioners' — teacher leaders and inservice teacher educators — existing conceptions and beliefs, and promote intellectual restructuring. The article centers on two components of the Manor Program for the development of teacher leaders and educators. The first component focuses on expanding academic knowledge, by helping the participants become acquainted with studies on students' and teachers' conceptions and ways of thinking in mathematics. The second component focuses on the integration of knowledge learned in the academy with knowledge learned in practice by conducting a mini-study.This revised version was published online in September 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Literacy corps Iran's gamble to conquer illiteracy

Summary TheLiteracy Corps program was launched by Iranian government officials in October 1962 as a radical departure from both traditional and modern approaches to illiteracy among rural children. The program has been rapidly formulated and implemented in the midst of many public statements by government officials. As the program has evolved from formulation, to training, to implementation, this observer has grown increasingly skeptical. As a plan it has been hastily conceived and poorly financed. The military flavor that has been maintained in both selecting and training the teachers seems quite useless to, if not destructive of, an effective educational program. The consistent failure to relate the literacy program to an over-all program of teacher training and elementary school development marks Iran'sLiteracy Corps as a stop-gap measure rather than a bold, basic attack on the country's problem of educational opportunity for all its people.

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Literacy corps — Irans Wagnis im Feldzug gegen das Analphabetentum

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Literacy corps — l'aventure de l'Iran dans sa campagne contre l'analphabetisme

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Data for this analytical report were gathered by the author while in Iran as a Fulbright Professor at The University of Tehran, 1962–63.     

The globalization ofSesame Street: A producer's perspective

Sesame Street, the Children's Television Workshop's pioneering educational television series for preschoolers, has become an international—as well as an American—institution. Licensed versions, adaptations, and coproductions of the series have been seen in approximately 115 countries. Children in 65 countries have viewed the series in its English-language form. In addition, the program has been coproduced in 13 other languages for broadcast in 50 countries. Each local adaptation ofSesame Street is unique, reflecting the varying educational, social, and cultural needs of children from country to country. This article documents the spread ofSesame Street—and the CTW research and development model—abroad, and includes several case studies of different foreign adaptations ofSesame Street.He works withSesame Street coproductions worldwide, providing onsite consultation through all phases of project development and production.     

Evaluation of Preservice Teachers’ Internships: A Model to Encourage Career Continuity and Program Reform

Quality teacher evaluation is a complex subject, requiring complex methods that draw from multiple data sources (Peterson, 2000). Most importantly, preservice teacher evaluation should match teacher education objectives (Popham, 1993) and, ultimately, be used to inform teacher practices and reform educational programming (Darling-Hammond, 1990). The purpose of this study is to present an evaluation model that uses multiple data sources for a preservice teacher’s internship experience. This model is employed within a teacher education program at a large land-grant university; the multiple data sources match program objectives and draw parallels between preservice and inservice teacher evaluation tools at use in this particular state. The evaluation model incorporates two guiding objectives within this college of education’s mission statement—objectives that focus on performance and reflection. First, preservice teachers are educated to assume roles of leadership and service in classroom practice, and second, preservice teachers are taught to become reflective practitioners, The first objective is measured by using a research-based classroom observation rating form during the internship that closely resembles the tool used by the state-licensing department of education. The second program objective is measured through the use of portfolios. In addition to using the results from these instruments to advise preservice teachers regarding their professional growth, the data can also guide program development within the college and suggest programmatic reform, an often overlooked yet integral factor of personnel evaluation. Discussion of specific rating results per instrument and specific avenues for program development are presented.     

Teacher development in advanced educational technology

Advanced educational technology promises to improve science teaching and learning. To achieve the posited outcomes, however, teachers must have access to, know how to, have the skills to, and want to use the proposed advanced educational technologies in their teaching. In response, for the past eight years with support from the National Science Foundation, BSCS has conductedENLIST Micros — a teacher development to help science teachers improve their use of microcomputers.ENLIST Micros has three phases — Phase one (1984–1986): BSCS designed, tested, and producedENLIST Micros (Ellis and Kuerbis, 1987, 1989) teacher development materials (text, video, and tutorial software) for helping science teachers improve their use of educational technology. Phase two (1986–1989): BSCS designed, developed, tested, and disseminated a staff development model for helping science teachers integrate educational technology into instruction. Phase three (1989–1992): BSCS established Teacher Development Centers to implement theENLIST Micros teacher development materials and staff development model with science teachers throughout the United States.ENLIST Micros has served more than 1500 science teachers in 15 states. Teachers who have participated in the program have improved their knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy about computer usage and have improved their use of microcomputers in their science courses. Furthermore, as part of the project, BSCS has described the implementation process and has developed recommendations to support improvements in the use of educational technology in science programs.     

Fostering educational participation in pastoral communities through non-formal education: the Ghanaian perspective

This paper is an investigation of the impact of the Shepherd School Program, a non-formal basic education program implemented in seven pastoral communities in northern Ghana. The paper argues that non-formal basic education programs can have an important impact on the educational development of a community. However, for this to be possible, the context of such programs must answer to communities’ social, cultural, economic and other immediate needs.     

Manufacturing and Production Technician Youth Apprenticeship Program: A Partnership

For 3 years, a university, a public secondary school, and a manufacturing company have been collaborating in offering an alternative education program to juniors and seniors who are not expected to graduate. The program takes place at the manufacturing site where students who are youth apprentices spend about 20 hr each week in work and another 20 hr in the classroom at the site-all at pay. After 2 successful calendar years in this competency-based program, youth apprentices earn a high school diploma. They are graduating from this program with useful skills, improved behavior, and academic qualifications for higher education. The Youth Apprenticeship (YA) Program meets the manufacturer's demand for skilled high school graduates in a rural area where such candidates are scarce. The program also provides the university with an alternative field site for preparing teachers and conducting research while rendering valuable services in areas of curriculum. Most important, the YA Program adds educational options for the apprentices themselves. The program has been recognized regionally and nationally for its design and effectiveness.     

College Student-Teacher Relationships

Mentoring is a process in which one person, usually of superior rank and outstanding achievement, guides the development of an entry-level individual. Colleges and universities historically have had new faculty orientation programs and methods to support new faculty matriculation. Mentorship programs, if well developed, can integrate new faculty into the university community and are characteristic of good educational practice. This article provides a rationale for, as well as features and benefits of, a new faculty mentorship program at a comprehensive university.     

Regarding the Dead: A Model for Anatomical Gifting Outside the Traditional Medical School Setting

In 2017, Elon University became one of very few universities in the United States without a medical school to have an in-house Anatomical Gift Program (AGP). The program accepts first-person-consenting individuals only and within 2.5 years has become self-sufficient, supporting anatomy curricular needs of its physical therapy, physician assistant, and undergraduate biology and anthropology programs (n = 21 donors annually). This paper describes the timeline, costs, and benefits of developing an in-house AGP at a university without a medical school. Policy development, public outreach, equipment needs, and cost benefits are discussed. Within 2.5 years of program opening, the AGP Director delivered 161 educational outreach presentations at 86 different venues across the state providing information on anatomical gifting. The program registered 320 individuals (60% female, 40% male) and enrolled 41 deceased donors (69% female, 31% male; average age of 74.6 at time of registration and 74.8 at donation). During the first seven months of the program, donor preparation costs (with outsourcing for transport/donor preparation/document filing/serology testing/cremation) averaged US$ 2,100 per donor. Over the past 23 months, donor preparation has been completed on site, lowering the cost per donor to US$ 1,260. Other costs include personnel salaries, legal fees, and outfitting of the anatomy laboratory and preparatory room. Program benefits include support of anatomy education on campus, assurance that all donors have given first-person consent, and faculty/student access to donor-determined health, social, and occupational information. Faculty, staff, and students contribute to the daily operations of the AGP.     

The Field Study Program

The Field Studies Program is an undergraduate, interdisciplinary experience in field-related education on the Berkeley campus of the University of California. Begun in 1971, the program has survived repeated examination and shows every sign of becoming a fixture on the campus. Located at a major center of graduate education, the program has had to take itself very seriously as an intellectual endeavor. Self-study has generated a model of field-related education based on doing, thinking, and communicating that leads toward increased competency and consciousness. Within the program competence is seen as the ability to act intelligently and effectively—to act and to employ knowledge. Consciousness is seen as self-awareness and the ability to generate knowledge from action—to learn from experience. The article elaborates on this model and reports students' responses to participation in the program.     

Developing Singapore school leaders to handle complexity in times of uncertainty

In times of uncertainty, university faculties have a duty to prepare school leaders to handle complexity, as the number of variables in the educational system and the interactivity of variables increase exponentially. The Leaders in Education Program (LEP) is a 6-month full-time program at the Singapore National Institute of Education (NIE, which is a part of Nanyang Technological University). The LEP aims to prepare especially selected vice-principals and ministry officers in Singapore for school leadership. The LEP is a collaborative effort between the NIE and the Ministry of Education, an example of a university–government partnership in program development. This article describes the efforts of the LEP in developing the ability of school leaders to deal with complexity. It also examines in detail one particular component of the LEP, the Creative Action Project, to illustrate how this is done in practice, and analyzes the views of participants on their learning through the project.     

Reconsidering curriculum development: A framework for co-operation

Conventional approaches to curriculum development employed in western countries have proved to be unsatisfactory. Much of the literature as well as the practice of curriculum development have focussed on two traditional stances — the administrative and grass-roots models — and neither has been able to accommodate concurrently the theoretical and practical objectives, skills, and needs of central administrators, teachers, and curriculum specialists. In this paper, a brief examination of the characteristics, prevalence, benefits, and major shortcomings of these two models provides a basis for describing an approach that may better fulfil the multiple and competing demands of educational administrators and users. The article elaborates upon and defends a theoretical plan for involving administrators and educators in co-operative curriculum development, and specifies additional organizational requirements and constraints which would need to be dealt with in order to effect its intent.     

Organization,management and academic problems in the Arab University: The Kuwait University experience

The modern university is essentially an alien phenomenon in the Arab world where it lacks the societal support base enjoyed by the western university. Moreover, many of the new Arab universities, like Kuwait University, established in 1966, were either modeled after the French influenced Egyptian university — in-turn based on semi-independent colleges — or received their initial administrative and teaching faculty from Egypt. From this legacy is derived a significant share of the obstacles hindering organization and management reform. At the same time a variety of governmental traditions and regulations binding the university to general civil service regulations, an under-developed tradition of university autonomy and faculty participation in university decision-making, and a utilitarian concept of formal education which associates degress with employment status are among the more serious problems confronting the Arab university.Kuwait University can be seen as a microcosm of the organizational, management and academic problems encountered in the Arab university. Although Kuwait University enjoys adequate financial support and is not forced to accommodate an unreasonable number of students, it has peculiar problems arising from unequal admissions standards (Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti), traditional societal values, paucity of indigenous staff, inexperienced administrators, lack of balance in academic ranks, absence of tenure, a fragmented physical plant, inadequate support staff as well as insufficient societal understanding and support. Like most other Arab universities Kuwait University not only reflects the rudimentary societal development but is located on the frontier of that development. Given the small population of Kuwait, the university is especially important in this development role. As the university and its distinctive needs become better understood the total society will be strengthened.     

Kids,carpentry, and the preschool classroom

A great deal of attention has been given over the past few years to the educational value of play in the lives of very young children (Glickman 1979, Pellegrini 1980, Yawkey & Fox 1981, Hoot, 1984). Play has been shown to serve as an indispensible medium for supporting the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development of children. Where play does exist, it is generally found in the housekeeping, block, and sand/water play areas. Yet, many classrooms overlook one of the most developmentally appropriate and enjoyable play media of all — woodworking.Susan Anderson is a teacher of young children and member of the School Board in Lake Dallas, Texas. James L. Hoot is head of the Early Childhood Education Program at North Texas State University, Denton, Texas.     

Structure of Scientific Knowledge and Curriculum Design

In the theory of teaching, the problem of interrelation between two types of cognition — the scientific and the educational — has been discussed for a long time. The author of this paper has come to the conclusion that logic of an educational subject does not unambiguously follow from the logic of science (paradigm). The same content of the course can be realized with the help of several isomorphous structures of equal value and consistent with the existing logic of science. The choice of structure is determined by educational aims, types of education institutions, periods of studies, the presence of connections between subjects and other conditions.     

The Ohio Career Education Association: Providing leadership in a changing society

Summary Founded in 1975, the Ohio Career Education Association has grown and matured into a vital, action-oriented professional organization of 1,700 members. Major initiatives include an outstanding annual conference, a quarterly newsletter, legislative relations activities, partnerships, publicity campaigns, and professional development seminars.CEA's dual mission is to promote the growth and expansion of career education in Ohio and to serve the interests of career education practitioners — teachers, counselors, career program personnel, and other local supporters.The key to CEA's success is that it functions as an active member of Ohio's career education network.Curt Heady is Director, Tri-County Education Program, Nelsonville, Ohio. He is also currently serving as Immediate Past President of the Ohio Career Education Association.     

Dangerous liaisons: Reflections on a pilot project for state-mandated outcomes assessment of written communication

This study details the development and results of a campus-based writing assessment plan that was mandated by a state-wide university system in order to explore the “value-added” from a writing program curriculum to undergraduate students’ competence with written expression. Four writing samples (two timed essays and two conventional essays) that are produced before, during and at the close of enrollment in the writing program are scored for critical thinking, genre knowledge, rhetorical skills, and mechanics. The results indicate that local campus student achievement related to writing is comparable with performance captured by nationally normed technologies and larger assessment projects at similar state universities. The data also suggest significant performance difference related to the institutional position of students’ instructors as well as students’ own enrollment status. The article concludes that while the data produced by this research project are compelling, the policy and political implications of the undertaking suggest greater sensitivity to the institution's culture and program direction as well as its impact on instructor morale, student learning environment and the place of composition studies in the university.