In our knowledge-based society, K-8 students need to develop increasingly sophisticated skills to read, write, and speak for a wide variety of purposes and audiences. Including an extended case example from a linguistically diverse school, this book guides school leaders to design and implement advanced literacy instruction through four key…

A survey of over 200 English comprehensive schools revealed that nearly half the schools had either implemented or were about to implement staff appraisal schemes. The survey emphasizes the definitional problem of appraisal; some styles of appraisal were the same as staff development. (MLF)

Used 34 teachers in 3 schools to identify teacher inservice needs. Described means to translate aims into action in context of collaborative staff development model proposed by Scotland's National Committee for In-Service Training of Teachers. Proposed concept of professional staff development whereby responsibility for learning/changing lies…

Questionnaire data were collected from 64 direct-care staff members in a residential facility for people with multiple disabilities. Path analyses identified factors predicting levels of perceived stress, overall job satisfaction, overall life satisfaction, and perceived likelihood of leaving the organization. Factors included staff support, job…

A case study describes how a rural local education agency (Allegany County, Maryland) developed a comprehensive staff development system. It presents some contextual and theoretical background information, summarizes the problem as perceived by key actors, and then describes a series of activities resulting in the development of the comprehensive…

To determine what effect a series of inservice programs for school administrators had on participating school principals and their schools, principals filled out questionnaires before and after five inservice programs. Changes were noted in three domains of participant characteristics--cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. (JW)

The Mathematics Curriculum and Teaching Program (MCTP) is a joint initiative of the Curriculum Development Centre and the Directors of Curriculum of the States and Territories of Australia. The program seeks to improve the teaching of mathematics in grades K-10. This manual contains guidelines for people who have a responsibility for the…

Evaluates the effect of a comprehensive teacher training program in Instructional Theory into Practice (ITIP) on student achievement. Reports findings of two phases of a four-phase Follow-Through study. Achievement test scores indicate that students in the project made significant gains in reading and mathematics. (DR)

Describes organization and evaluation of 13 workshops at the University of Wisconsin-Madison providing professional development for clinical research support staff. Topics included ethics, protocol development, statistics, audits, and tips and tools for successful research. Evaluation indicated the workshops met educational goals but did not…

Change processes at the school building level are considered in order to formulate a number of locally based strategies, derived from research, for significantly improving schools and classrooms. Part I of the three-part analysis examines, through illustration, what is known about successful change processes at the school and classroom levels.…

This study focused on process measures to identify the major components of elementary school climate and to test the effectiveness of an intervention emphasizing the work of the principal. Nine schools of diverse size and in several locations in British Columbia formed the sample. Data included surveys of parents and teachers, interviews of…

Research findings, supported by other research projects, identify the elements relevant to school improvement as school focus, school autonomy, and staff development. A chart based on three recent major literature reviews provides a comprehensive listing of supportable assertions regarding unusually effective institutions. (MLF)

This paper presents organizational strategies and implementation methods for conversion to middle school organization (scheduled to take place in 1988) in the Johnson City, Tennessee, school system. Carried out by the district in partnership with local institutions of higher education, the study focuses on what is educationally best for the child…

Science programs provided for primary school have not always been successful. A major reason suggested is that some programs place demands on teachers which many teachers find difficult to meet and which give rise to concerns which restrict their development as teachers of science. Based on the work of the the Learning in Science Project…

A revised system was developed for documenting the rights restrictions of persons with mental retardation at a state residential facility. The system included a new form, response effort reduction, inservice training for staff, and staff feedback. Results showed an immediate and sustained reduction in documentation errors of 96 direct-care and…