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This product of a Leadership Training Institute/Vocational and Special Education contains a series of policy papers intended to identify and address several issues that relate to developing effective cooperation and agreement among agencies. Four papers address these topics and issues: (1) State Planning for Interagency Cooperation, (2) Training Educational Personnel to Implement Effective Interagency Cooperation and Agreements for Serving Handicapped Learners, (3) Preparing Vocational and Special Education Personnel for Working with Students Who Have Special Needs, and (4) Effective Linkages for Interagency Cooperation. Each paper suggests major issues for further consideration and/or recommendations. An epilogue summarizes the papers' contents. (YLB)

Ten topic papers examine federal laws and programs affecting persons with disabilities and make recommendations for improved use of federal money. The papers cover: (1) equal opportunity laws, examining the status of disability-related equal opportunity laws and identifying gaps in coverage, shortcomings and inconsistencies in interpretation and application, and deficiencies in enforcement; (2) employment, focusing on transition programs, supported work, placement initiatives, and sheltered employment; (3) disincentives to work under social security laws; (4) prevention of disabilities, addressing existing programs, problems, and gaps in legislation and programs; (5) transportation, focusing on urban mass transit, air travel, bus travel, Amtrak, and private transportation; (6) housing, dealing with federal housing assistance and loan programs as well as nondiscrimination and fair housing requirements; (7) community-based services for independent living, which explores services for individuals with various levels of handicap and the costs and benefits of community-based independent living services; (8) educating children with disabilities, dealing with early childhood and preschool programs and integration of special education classes and programs into regular educational settings; (9) personal assistance, which outlines issues and national policy for providing attendant services; and (10) coordination of policy development and of program administration. (JDD)

This paper discusses an approach to educational improvement through collaboration between schools and universities. It develops the concept of symbiosis between unlike institutions in which each recognizes need for the other in seeking to fulfill its self-interest. The first section defines the essential characteristics of successful renewal: that workers at all levels must have optimal opportunities to combine their expertise, and that there must be a continuous infusion of both relevant knowledge and alternative ideas for practice stemming from inquiry into the enterprise. Accordingly, the first section reviews past symbiotic efforts at educational reform that have collectively contributed insights to a partnership strategy. Based on these insights, the essentials of school-university partnerships are defined: (1) complementary dissimilarity among the partners; (2) overlapping self-interests and the recognition of such by all partners; and (3) commitment among all partners to the belief that the potential gains in satisfying self-interest are worth the efforts and inevitable sacrifices of close collaboration. The last part of the paper describes the principles, mission, goals, and structure of the National Network for Educational Renewal, which consists of 14 partnerships in different states. (TE)

The need for cooperation between bilingual teachers and teachers of English as a second language is addressed in this position paper. Operational definitions and characteristics of bilingual education and English as a second language are presented, and the interrelationship of bilingual education and English as a second language is clarified. The position of the international organization of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages regarding bilingual education is established, and activities to assure the successful achievement of the stated goal are identified. The position of the international organization is endorsement and support of the bilingual approach to education; it is recognized as providing students of limited English proficiency with equal educational opportunities. English as a second language is an integral and essential component of bilingual-bicultural programs in the United States. (SW)

This paper defines and discusses the nature of management; outlines the primary management functions and activities, emphasizing the importance of communication and coordination to successful management; and examines the place of communication as a management function in the library setting. After a discussion of the key role of coordination in management, various approaches to organizational coordination are outlined, including chain of command, grouping of activities, formation of committees, and informal discussions. Some of the basic definitions of the manager's role within the organization and the qualities common to managers and administrators are then reviewed. A discussion of the tasks and functions of the manager with respect to problem solving, planning, staffing, and coordination is followed by a discussion of the nature, importance, and purpose of communication within organizations. The relationships between organizational communication and conflicts in library administration, time usage in libraries, and library effectiveness are then addressed. The activities of librarians that are facilitated by effective communication are briefly reviewed. A reference list and three figures accompany the text. (JL)

This occasional paper provides a comprehensive review of literature pertaining to one of the major activities of the Center for Educational Renewal: the establishment of school-university partnerships for mutual improvement and the creation of a national network for purposes of supporting and communicating among the partnerships. After a brief introduction, the second section reviews the literature that defines key terms used throughout the monograph: networks, collaboratives, cooperatives, partnerships, and other terminology. Section 3 provides a historical perspective on school-university collaboration, while section 4 examines contemporary examples. Section 5, "The Whys, Wherefores, and Whatnots of Collaboration," examines the reasons individuals and organizations offer for seeking collaborative arrangements, and considers the benefits claimed for such efforts. It then reviews the obstacles reported as creating difficulties for those who seek success through collaboration, and concludes with a set of suggestions for making collaboration succeed. The final section examines implications for study and action. A selective annotated bibliography is appended, followed by a standard comprehensive bibliography. (TE)

The Partnership for Rural Improvement (PRI) designs and tests methods of creating and strengthening cooperation among providers and between providers and users of rural public services. PRI has defined six types of collaboration (voluntary, involuntary, formal, informal, direct, and indirect) and strives for voluntary collaboration among agencies, with a balance between formal and informal collaboration. Collaboration occurs in varying degrees ranging from simple awareness of another organization's existence (cooperation) through planned participation on projects (collaboration) to a planned overlapping of boards and a joint setting of policy (integration). Both among and within organizations, horizontal and vertical collaboration are necessary. Ideal collaboration involves perfect communication and understanding of expectations and implementation among all relevant persons at all working levels of all involved organizations. Still, certain conditions must be present for a voluntary collaborative arrangement to succeed. The conditions include personal commitment of involved individuals, obvious benefits to involved organizations, organizational support for individuals, and effective communication. Feeling that collaborative relationships develop hierarchically, PRI attempts to further collaborate by teaching workshops to meet organizational needs at four progressively complex levels: intrapersonal, interpersonal, intraorganizational, and interorganizational. PRI itself illustrates how to use this conceptual framework in implementing an active collaborative program. (SB)

The point is made that teacher educators must not be categorically included or excluded from teacher center activities, but should be considered on the basis of their personal worth and their individual teaching and/or research competencies. Stronger links are needed between the educational research community, as well as the research on teaching community, and teacher centers. Individual teachers and teacher educators can provide the means for this critical cooperation. Although stress is likely to be encountered by teachers and particularly teacher educators attempting to assume the linking role, the transition is not only possible but is essential for the improved reception of educational research into the teaching community via the teacher center. (LH)

The way in which university academic service units evolved historically is considered, a theoretical framework is outlined representing the present organizational relationship between the managerial perspective of these units and the university policy-making perspective, and a model is proposed for integrating academic service units into university policy formulation activity using institutional research as the primary organizational facilitator. Examples of academic service units are admissions, the registrar, financial aid, and institutional research, but they can include any professional-staff unit that deals directly with the curricular sector of university administration. These units directly affect the university policy-making process in the way they interpret and implement policy decisions, and if they are not integrated into the process, the potential exists for the formulation of piecemeal and ineffective policies. It is suggested that academic service unit professionals are differentiated from university policy makers and among each other based on functional roles within the university's operational framework, and that a coordinator is needed to maintain intergroup communication through the exchange of systematic information. The proposed model would enable overall university goals, policies, and plans to be defined utilizing the insight and information of all major participant groups in the policy formulation process. Feedback to goal setters by the operational or managerial professionals is included in the process. It is suggested that institutional researchers can help define issues and policies based on a university-wide perspective, and that they provide technical understanding to develop and evaluate the data base. A bibliography is appended. (SW)

Key ingredients of long-range planning described in the literature during the last 10 years, the role of an office of institutional research, and a coordinated long-range planning process as it might occur in a public four-year college or university are described. A successful long-range planning process is characterized by centralized coordination of planning, involvement of the chief executive, use of a planning council, and decentralized planning. The data generated by an institutional research office for program reviews, accreditation self-studies, and similar efforts can be applied to the planning process. Self-studies can be used to develop new or revised goals and objectives and the means to achieve them, and institutional researchers can analyze data and forecast future conditions. Four planning models are cited, including Parekh's (1975) planning kit, which outlines the process through a series of matrices, and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (1978) planning manual. The next stage of the planning process is to develop a mission statement or revise the existing statement if necessary. The economy, energy costs, and demographics are among the factors that affect college planning. The relationship between the institutional mission and the goals of each academic department and academic support unit needs to be evaluated, and considered in relation to the final college plan. The importance of integrating academic, financial, and physical planning is emphasized. (SW)

Founded in 1945 as a non-profit national organization for home economics students in secondary schools, Future Homemakers of America (FHA) provides a framework for youth-planned and -directed activities to enrich the home economics curriculum. It emphasizes cooperation as a means of helping youth grow as individuals and contributing family and society members. Whether operating within the classroom or as a separate entity, FHA chapters conduct activities related to class skills and knowledge. Youth participate at the National Board of Directors and represent the organization at state and national meetings. FHA concerns in leadership development and personal growth are preparation for the student's future dual role of homemaker/wage earner and development of values and relationship skills. Chapter involvement has resulted in individual growth programs, cooperative chapter projects, hands-on experiences, and teen-operated businesses. One member's personal concern with teenage pregnancies developed into the National Peer Education Project. In addition to being active collaboratively within the National Coordinating Council for Vocational Student Organizations structure, FHA has joined with 11 other national groups to form the National Collaboration for Youth. Legislative needs of FHA are recognition by name in the legislation and making vocational education monies available for youth travel. (YLB)

Intended to illuminate the issues surrounding the coordination of vocational training systems in developing countries, this document raises questions about what should be coordinated, how, by whom, and for what purpose. After an introduction, the following six sections are presented: (1) "The Nature of Coordination," which distinguishes coordination from management and defines coordination as bringing parts or separate entities together in a proper relationship, thereby causing them to function together for a wider purpose; (2) "Coordination amongst Nonformal Skill Providers," which offers advice on coordination issues relevant to private institutional training and training both within and outside government; (3) "Coordination with the Formal Education System," which raises issues regarding the coordination between general education, occupational skills acquisition, vocational education, and vocational training; (4) "Coordination with the Outside World," which discusses the relationships between training and manpower, training and technological change, training and the labor market, and training and the business/industrial enterprise; (5) "Mechanisms for Coordination," which describes a "coordinating ministry" model and a "training council" model; and, finally, (6) "Summary and Conclusions." (CML)

Existing Department of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) policy and practice in link courses are reviewed, and some proposals are made on the development of that policy. Issues or questions raised by these policies are juxtaposed with the presentation of link program policy. Chapter 1 considers the background of the link course program and defines the link program as being comprised of part-time courses usually conducted within a TAFE institution to offer secondary students a sample of a wide range of employment areas. Bases of operation for the link program are discussed in chapter 2. These include mutual commitment and mutual planning by secondary schools and TAFE institutions, use of exclusive resources, access to an adult learning environment, curriculum guidelines, cautions related to narrowing students' vocational options in link courses, counseling, and staff development. Chapter 3 focuses on data collection policy. The 1982 record-keeping situation is summarized; an assessment of commitment/cost is outlined, and a centralized transitional education record system is proposed. Chapter 4 addresses the priorities and responsibilities for financing. Appendixes include an interim link course policy and record-keeping forms. (YLB)