A Synthesis of Findings Across Five Recent Studies of Educational Dissemination and Change. Executive Summary (Management version) (Policy version).

Five recent large-scale investigations of educational dissemination and change in American schools are reviewed, consolidated, and synthesized to derive a set of conclusions regarding the current state of knowledge for policy makers, program administrators, and researchers. The material is presented as an executive summary in similar management and policy versions. Two key conclusions drawn from this synthesis are that some form of personal intermediary or linkage is essential to the dissemination process, and that a relatively comprehensive yet flexible external support system is needed to provide crucial materials and in-person utilization assistance. Implications are derived from these conclusions for dissemination-related policy, administration/management, and research and evaluation. Guidelines provided for an effective dissemination/utilization program are based on components of successful approaches to dissemination and change identified in reviewing the five studies. (Author/CMV)