Using a focus group format, 20 teachers working in elementary and secondary schools were interviewed from 2 school districts in southern Ontario, Canada about their understanding and use of formative assessment. Analysis of the interviews followed a constant comparison method and revealed a variety of emerging themes. Results suggested an…

This conference presentation examines planning tools that provide professional development opportunities to build capacity and improve student achievement, focusing on year-round education. It emphasizes how to bridge the current gap between professional development practices and a professional's capacity to enable students to meet standards by…

Materials developed by the Alabama community, junior, and technical colleges as part of a state-funded professional development effort are presented. The first sections provide information on Alabama's systemwide professional development activities; the organization and characteristics of the community, junior, and technical college system;…

According to the annual industry report in "Training" magazine, money spent on employee training dropped approximately six percent--the first time that training expenditures have dropped since the mid 1990's. At the same time, web-based training increased from 48% of all computer-based training to 61% in just one year (2002-2003). The…

College and university faculty face many demands on their time: research, teaching, service, committees, family, and other obligations. One of the major challenges faced by instructional support personnel at colleges and universities is to get their training efforts entered into the faculty members' busy calendars. This paper looks at a new option…

For the new two-year college instructor, gaining information that specifically addresses his/her problems and concerns, and establishing the network to generate the flow of quality information can be a problem. How the instructor deals with this problem is a function of his/her stage of growth. In the neophyte stage, the new faculty member is…

This paper describes an inservice training project in Colorado funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The goal of the project is to create a self-sustaining and expanding network of trained leaders in geographic education. The project addresses: (1) the need to improve and expand the geographic literacy of U.S. citizens; (2) the…

This report is the result of a national conference convened in December 2005 by the American Association of Community Colleges in partnership with the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This event, the Teaching by Choice Leadership Summit on Community College…

Use of portfolios as a tool for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teacher development and evaluation, using principles and practices borrowed from portfolio use to assess learner progress, is advocated. The origins of portfolios in art and other professions and their adaptation for teaching are outlined. The structure of such a portfolio is then…

A description is presented of Vista College's faculty development system, which attempts to provide an atmosphere of support for the part-time faculty who carry over 85% of the teaching assignments. First, the paper provides background on the characteristics of Vista College, a non-campus community college which offers over 400 courses in general…

In spring 1981, a need was identified for the improvement of the faculty evaluation system at Brunswick Junior College (BJC). A committee, formed to study methods of faculty evaluation, recommended an evaluation system based on Modified Management by Objectives (MMBO). Subsequent to approval by the college administration, the new system was…

In spring 1984, a study was conducted at the University of Maryland's University College to evaluate the effectiveness of computer studies faculty. The student ratings of these faculty members were compared with the ratings given to mathematics faculty and to all other faculty teaching that term. On all three evaluation criteria (i.e., encourages…

This paper takes the SUNY (State University of New York) Learning Network faculty development program, which helps faculty and their students incorporate technology in their courses, the perspective of one educator who decided to participate in the program because online teaching would help him adapt to the current changes in higher education. The…

Bloomfield College (New Jersey) has encouraged faculty development in inclusive curricula through a faculty development program that guaranteed academic freedom, was begun with faculty members' own reflective practice, and was interdisciplinary and community-wide. This program was a central facet of a larger, institution-wide diversity effort.…

In response to the problem of developing a comprehensive system of evaluation to improve and reward instructional effectiveness that is acceptable to both the academic and administrative arms of an institution, this paper presents a series of recommendations comprising a possible approach to the problem. After providing a rationale for a…