Reviewed is the literature on the supervisory conference over the 20 years since the advent of clinical supervision. First, the purpose and components of the conference are examined, followed by reflections on the underlying assumptions of the relationship between supervisor and teacher. Literature on the use of observation data in the conference…

This article examines the conflict over the definition of clinical supervision from the neo-traditional and neo-progressive perspectives. It shows how this conflict affects teachers' assessment and assistance, and suggests possible areas of compromise and future directions the conflict may take. (TE)