A teaching team leader and second grade teacher designed and implemented a 10-week practicum intervention meant to improve the inferential comprehension of 105 second graders whose reading scores on the Ginn Mastery Tests revealed a gap between inferential and literal comprehension. It was reasoned that the gap would decrease if teachers were…

In order to keep pace with society's involvement in computer use, schools must prepare students to live and work in a society that uses computers in nearly all aspects of life. The general goal of this practicum was to develop, implement, and evaluate a plan to develop the proper use of computers in a selected school. A total of 21 primary…

An associate director of an independent preschool and elementary school developed and implemented a practicum intervention designed to improve five inexperienced teachers' ability to conduct parent-teacher conferences. Through self-evaluation, teachers identified skills they needed to improve. Intervention focused on preconference planning…

A school district's program coordinator designed and implemented a practicum study intended to provide intermediate grade teachers and students with problem-solving techniques and skills needed for success in a course in contemporary Canadian issues. Teachers' and students' problem-solving skills were assessed through reports based on…

This practicum was designed to provide expertise to five child development associates and ten teacher assistants working in two preschool programs for migrant children. Emphasis was on the enhancement of program-related planning, curriculum development, curriculum implementation, and reporting skills. Weekly inservice workshops were developed and…

A practicum was designed to increase the instructional options chosen by classroom teachers in order to create meaningful connections between reading and writing for elementary students. Teachers in the target school were experiencing difficulty in translating theory into effective classroom practice. In response to a teacher needs assessment,…

A teacher of gifted children implemented a 10-week practicum intervention designed to improve regular classroom teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and skills concerning the education of gifted elementary school students. The intervention was designed to enable participants to identify characteristics and needs of gifted children, develop positive…

This practicum addressed the need to provide training in basic early childhood education subject areas to Head Start teachers and teacher assistants. A trainer of trainers approach was implemented because of the large number of teachers involved (approximately 1,300 in the Los Angeles County Schools Head Start grantee programs). Goals for…

This practicum focused on the problem of inservice training failing to meet the individual professional needs of a diverse summer staff in an early childhood center. The solution strategy utilized a needs assessment survey and consultations with staff members to determine areas of need and interest, the results of which were used to devise a…

The Environmental Studies Center Outdoor Science program should represent a continuation of the county science curriculum. However, science teachers were insufficiently involved and generally unprepared to conduct effective classroom follow-up activities with students upon returning from outdoor field excursions sponsored by the Environmental…

This practicum addressed the problem of inadequate teacher preparation in the area of learning theory, content, and methodology related to mathematical instruction of children attending a private child care center in Oakland, California. The general goal of the study was to plan, implement, and evaluate a staff development program to increase…

The need to provide elementary school teachers with effective parent involvement strategies for hard-to-reach parents was addressed by designing an inservice for teachers which presented research-based strategies. Strategies included using a positive, non-threatening approach, employing personal, two-way communication, providing guidance and…

This practicum sought to provide elementary school teachers with the skills and knowledge needed to teach students residing in foster care. The three specific goals of the practicum were: (1) to have all 30 of the teacher participants use teaching strategies appropriate to the education of foster care children; (2) to have at least 25 of the 30…