Any organization with a comprehensive training program has a leadership development curriculum. These programs include everything from conventional classroom learning with guest speakers to high-tech simulations and lavish retreats. There also may be mentorship thrown in, as well as multiple job rotations. Despite the well-rounded curricula, many…

Traditional program evaluation methods are expensive in terms of time and money. An alternative is auditing, a process that produces an official accounting and verification, often by third-party evaluators. Auditing relies on samples that are critical to the organization and its decision makers. (JOW)

Discusses why measuring behavior change is an effective way to project how the training program is contributing to the objectives of the organization and reducing operating costs. (CT)

This article suggests an alternative valuation approach and method based on "phenomenology" or "personal constructs" in the evaluation of management training. The approach is that learning and its application depend, not on the direct influence of externally located objects, but on how the learner experiences and evaluates…

A matrix is presented for evaluating outdoor development programs. The four quadrants (narrow skills, broad skills, fun/enjoyment, self/other awareness) are ranged along two dimensions: tight to loose task approach and low to high intensity process. (SK)

A well-planned and well-executed management development program can lead to a more effective institution, to improved morale among employees, and to increased potential for employee promotability. However, a good program will never be a satisfactory substitute for the selection of good employees. (MLW)

The authors argue that relatively few local governments conduct rigorous cost-benefit evaluations of their supervisory training and management development programs. The authors conclude that more attention to upper-level evaluation is warranted and provide an evaluation grid with practical suggestions for each level of training program evaluation.…

Explains why some programs fail to prove themselves in evaluations yet have substantial benefits. Documents a method of administering self-reports, pre-then-post testing that helps to eliminate response-shift bias. (Author)

Kansas State University and the Topeka Public Schools are operating a model leadership academy for the identification and advanced preparation of educational administrators for building-level positions. (JOW)

Addresses the coherence of the principles of action learning, the consequences of employing certain variants in school management courses, the implications for action learning of research into effective training, and the need for thorough evaluation. (Author)

Includes "Outdoor Training: Revolution or Fad?" (Wagner, Baldwin, Roland); "Getting the Most out of Outdoor Training" (Buller, Cragun, McEvoy); and "Outdoor Training Companies" (a directory of more than 100 firms). (JOW)

Assessing school administrator training involves comparing what administrators do with what they are trained to do in university preservice programs and non-university inservice programs. Research on educational administrators shows their work activities are brief, discontinuous, unpredictable, verbal, and generally unrelated to school instruction…

The needs of those who move from classrooms into administrative offices must be addressed if school systems are to achieve effectiveness. Presented in this paper is a brief description of the elements of an effective school administrator induction program. A justification for administrator induction programs distinct from those of teacher…

Pertinent research literature and existing practices in the area of leadership for school climate improvement are reviewed in this document. The report first turns to the literature to establish working concepts of "leadership" and "school climate," enumerating the major characteristics by which each concept is recognized. The…

Reviews research on principals' behavior and research differentiating between more and less effective principals. Traces potential policy implications in the areas of program implementation, principal selection, preservice and inservice training, and district level organization and management. (RH)