Each year, 200 novice teachers arrive at the schools in a large district in Reno, Nevada. The district's challenge is to create a comprehensive system of support for these teachers. For eight years, the district has provided a site-mentor for each of the novice teachers and required attendance in a two-year program of study as part of the New…

Too often the professional development provided for teachers of mathematics is a short-term, one-shot effort. Today's shrinking budgets, increasing class sizes, and growing demands on teachers' time present further challenges. For the past six years, staff development efforts in the author's district have focused on language arts with little…

Given the challenges of time and economics in education today, what are practical models for creating adult learning communities that improve teaching and learning in today's diverse classrooms? How do Americans foster and nurture adult learning communities once they are established? The authors have found that carefully crafted partnerships…

It's true that adults learn differently than children. They have real-life experiences, strong preferences, time constraints, competing priorities, and varied objectives. But, they also share some similarities. Training the adults who work directly with children is the best way to make a positive impact on the children. In this article, the…

Never before has the need been so great for classroom teachers to become agents of change and position themselves as problem solvers at the school building level. Teachers are uniquely positioned to assume leadership roles on a variety of tasks that could transform schools from more traditional workplaces into professional learning communities.…

The purpose of this paper is to outline government online training practice. We searched individual research domains of the human-dimensions of Human Computer Interaction (HCI), information and communications technologies (ICT) and instructional design for evidence of either corporate sector or government training practices. We overlapped these…

Staff developers can plan better programs if they have some knowledge of adult learning theory and if they use principles and practices of exemplary adult education. Participants should be helped to examine their cultural and organizational assumptions. (JD)

An action research project sought to create a learning culture in a hospital. Adult learning principles and facilitation of learning at and from work were emphasized. Although the hospital's top-down management eventually ended the project, active staff participation in learning was begun. (SK)

Meeting teachers' different needs calls for varying staff development strategies. Options offered by the Charleston (South Carolina) schools include individualized education plans, short-term sabbaticals, substitute teacher teams, teachers as instructors, peer coaching, teacher exchanges, release time, summer workshops, weekend retreats, and…

An understanding of adult learning principles will enable staff developers to select the most appropriate learning environment for participants. The purpose and sample activities of formal, informal, or non-formal learning environments are presented. (JD)

A former teacher-turned-principal presents a model for providing new teachers with necessary peer support, information, and assistance. Components include a clear, concise introduction to materials, schedules, and daily school and classroom operations; a thorough building orientation; a presentation of the principal's expectations regarding…

Kimberly-Clark Corporation's approach to needs assessment, program planning, program delivery, and follow-up programs that incorporate an andragogical perspective are explored in this article. Implications for school staff developers are presented. (DF)

A description is given of a doctoral program in staff development. The purpose of the program is to prepare professionals to become effective change agents. In order for professional staff developers to effect change and growth, they must fully understand the change processes. (JD)

This paper describes how one large, urban school district is successfully building a quality program for educators by combining organizational development, job embedded learning, and collaboration. POET (Professional Organizational Enhancement Training) works to improve learning by enhancing working environments in schools and departments. It…

Presents a professional-development template to help increase teachers' growth, satisfaction, and motivation. Programs should offer small, significant doses of user-friendly, high- challenge, low-threat, and hands-on activities that encourage teachers to construct their own knowledge, reflect on their practices, and try new approaches. (MLH)