Results of a staff development program designed to enhance participative decision-making through improving the quality circle process are presented in this practicum report. Methodology was based on two sets of interviews--needs assessment and followup--with school leaders at two school sites and onsite observation. After identifying problems in…

This practicum project used organized professional development to increase involvement of teachers at a preK-8 school in the school's reform process. All members of the school community actively participated in planning, data collecting, and sharing of pertinent reform information. The 3-month staff development intervention consisted of three…

This paper describes the outcomes of a practicum that initiated site-based-management strategies to support the consistent implementation of a quality school-age child-care program. Implemented at a multisite child-care center, the program sought to enhance staff members' job satisfaction and maximize their opportunities for professional growth…

The director of a child care center implemented and evaluated a 10-week practicum intervention designed to provide orientation and training experiences for the center's staff. About one third of the staff were part-time college students; one third were full-time workers with no degree; and one third were full-time professionals with college…

Outcomes of a staff development program based on the whole language philosophy that was implemented in a rural Florida elementary school are presented in this practicum report. Two surveys of 29 and 35 faculty, respectively, indicated needs for faculty cohesiveness, a unified purpose, and an update of language arts teaching skills. A staff…

Exploring the problem of high turnover rates for counselors at a therapeutic camp reveals that low job satisfaction--specifically lack of advancement and educational opportunities--is one frequent factor influencing resignation. This study examines the possibility of increasing agency support of personal advancement by creating individual…

A 10-week training program in a private nonprofit residential treatment program for children and youth was designed to help a treatment team increase its team functioning skills as measured by a pre- and post-training survey of individual and team effectiveness. The treatment program was located in a rural community and served people from eight…

A residential group care facility serving abused children had encountered unprecedented changes both internally and in the community. These changes had been highly stressful for this agency, affecting the morale of those closest to the children, the Child/Youth Care Workers. To address these stressors, a strategy utilizing supportive,…

A 5-year Title III grant received by Northern Maine Technical College (NMTC) in 1989 provided funding for professional development (PD) activities at the college. To evaluate the impact of the grant and plan for the continuation of the professional development program, a study was conducted in 1994 near the end of the grant period. Following a…

This practicum aimed to improve the way staff communicated with young children through in-service training in a university early childhood laboratory school setting. Eight in-service training sessions, combined with discussion groups, classroom/recorded observations, and practical applications, were provided. The program focused on appropriate…

In an effort to more effectively and efficiently administer Title III funds received for faculty, staff, and administrator development activities, the Northern Maine Technical College (NMTC) created a professional activities handbook for distribution to all college employees. This practicum report details the procedures undertaken in developing…

Because of the difficulty of finding time for professional and personal development, many family child care (FCC) providers are isolated in their work environment. This practicum study developed a provider-initiated support network to reduce this isolation. The local FCC association provided advertising about the formation of the network. A group…

This practicum study sought to increase child care staff's ability to transfer what they learned from training to the classroom and thereby to increase developmentally appropriate educational practice. Specifically, the project sought to increase positive interactions in the child care setting, increase the use of the outdoors as a learning…