This digest focuses on issues of group supervision of counselors and counselor trainees. It begins by describing the merits of group supervision, noting that group supervision is unique in that growth is aided by the interactions occurring between group members. Collaborative learning is identified as a pivotal benefit of group supervision, with…

This digest focuses on supervision issues for school counselors. It begins by addressing the need for professionally appropriate supervision to nurture school counselors' professional development. A section on the process of school counselor supervision begins by looking at clinical, developmental, and administrative supervision. The purpose of…

This report is intended to help policymakers understand the benefits of class-size reduction (CSR). It assesses the costs of CSR, considers some research-based alternatives, and explores strategies that will help educators realize the benefits of CSR when it is implemented. It examines how CSR enhances student achievement, such as when the…

Five recent studies included in this annotated bibliography highlight the diverse facets of an effective principal evaluation system. A technical report by Jerry W. Valentine and Michael L. Bowman includes a clinical instrument for assessing teachers' perception of principals' effectiveness. In a second report, Daniel L. Duke and Richard J.…

This Digest examines school districts' efforts to reap the greatest benefit from smaller classes. Although the report discusses teaching strategies that are most effective in small classes, research has shown that teachers do not significantly change their teaching practices when they move from larger to smaller classes. Smaller classes mean…

This digest briefly reviews connections among the literature on the adoption of innovations, technology integration, and the value of reflection in encouraging educators to explore the integration of new educational technologies into their current teaching practices. An approach to prompting reflection is described, which uses structured guidance…

Schools and school districts across the United States are establishing and expanding foreign language programs. Although most programs are found at the secondary school level, an increasing number are being established in elementary schools. A survey by the Center for Applied Linguistics indicates that 31% of U.S. elementary schools are offering…

The workshop is the most convenient and frequent means of inservice education. The purposes and types of social studies inservice workshops are examined, guidelines for effective planning and implementation are provided, and helpful hints and areas of caution designed to assist in conducting successful workshops are suggested. Six typical formats…

The project described in this digest was designed with the belief that teacher professional growth can best be fostered through sustained collaborative inquiry between teachers and researchers. It set out to incorporate what is known about quality professional development with the special features necessary for meeting the needs of English…

This brief describes how the Internet serves as a professional development tool, enabling individuals to access information on employment opportunities, workplace trends, prospective employers, and job search strategies. Websites may offer only one service or include a variety of features. Some services are available at no cost, others are fee…

The purpose of this digest is to help educators develop a curriculum for multiracial students that fosters their ability to develop a positive identity and achieve academically. To this end, the digest briefly reviews identity formation in multiracial children and then presents schoolwide and classroom strategies that have been shown to be…

This book provides a conceptual scaffolding and practical guide for educators and evaluators as they respond to the challenges of diversity in schools. It introduces ways to assess the capacities of various professional development programs, curriculum transformation projects, diversity initiatives, and study abroad opportunities to realize…

One method for assessing teacher performance is the teacher portfolio. This is a collection of work produced by a teacher to highlight and demonstrate his or her knowledge and skills in teaching. A portfolio also provides a means for reflection and an opportunity to critique one's own work and evaluate one's own effectiveness as a teacher. Rather…

Success for All (SFA), a schoolwide research-based reform model developed by Robert Slavin and his associates at Johns Hopkins University, is based on the premise that all students can and must succeed in the early grades. The program targets students in the lower grades, providing them with intensive instruction in language arts. This effort is…

This monograph contains the proceedings of the Flagship Conference of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES), which was designed to discuss the future of counselor education and to share images of how the counseling profession can be promoted and enhanced. The 16 papers are loosely divided into categories. The first two…