This report summarizes the major activities and findings to date of the Career Ladders Research and Evaluation Project with respect to the five-year pilot-test currently underway in Arizona. Summary descriptions are given of each year's activities from 1985 to 1989: (1) development and planning for program evaluation; (2) application of research…

The objectives of the Pennsylvania School Improvement Program (PSIP), funded by the National Institute of Education from 1976 to 1980, were to help schools analyze basic skills needs and improve student performance through the use of research-based programs and techniques. The data uncovered the need to improve instructional management, improve…

A school district's efforts to implement selected aspects of research on effective schools as part of a five-year plan for instructional improvement are summarized. The selection of goals, and development and implementation of school-level plans are described. Advantages and disadvantages of the school-level approach are discussed. (MT)

This paper presents research findings that suggest a framework for developing essential support systems for beginning teachers, and describes two induction-year pilot projects, now in operation, based on those findings. One project is a Master's level course instituted in August 1987 at the Univesity of Houston; the other is a program…

A needs assessment effort was undertaken by a local school system in response to a state of Iowa mandate to aid in the development of long-range responses to program needs. All teachers of the Grinnell Community School District were asked to respond to the 50-item questionnaire "Instructional Assessment Instrument" (included in the document). Part…

Describes how North Carolina educators cooperated to build a system of teacher-performance appraisal. To build the program, educators derived basic teaching functions from literature and observed teachers to gather performance data. Training is now provided to districts, and information about effective teaching is disseminated throughout the…

This 3-year project, part of an ongoing collaborative program development effort, is aimed at improvement of teacher education between Ohio State University and five Franklin County (Ohio) school districts. The project established a pilot program to help beginning teachers explore their own needs and classroom processes with the assistance of…

This project focused on both students and their teachers. Through the SLICK (Summer Learning in Colchester for Kids) component, children were afforded the opportunity to participate in several enrichment courses during the summer of 1987. Through the effective teaching component, teachers assisted in training their peers, and coached one another…

The Urban Initiative of the New Jersey Department of Education commits large numbers of its staff to a variety of efforts to improve schooling in the State's urban areas. It also represents an effort to develop a programmatic response that is rooted in research to the problems of urban education. In broad outline, the initiative is a…

As educators across the nation launch into frenzied efforts to "do something" in response to the various recommendations of commissions on educational excellence, many are forgetting that knowledge of how to implement change is available. This paper focuses on three concerns that educators must face when fitting general recommendations…

It is suggested in this paper that practical arguments can be used in teacher education and staff development programs to introduce teachers to research-based practices. Practical arguments consist of three types of premises--value, empirical, and situational--that conclude with an action, or an intention to act. Such arguments are a useful way to…

By 1969-70 it was clear to a number of development communities at both the state and federal level that education didn't need more programs, but more programs that work. Research and development products that address a wide variety of local needs were available. Over the past four or five years, more research and development funding has been used…

This article identifies six core elements that have empirical support and should be included in instructional programs for students with autistic spectrum disorders. They are: (1) individualized supports and services; (2) systematic instruction; (3) comprehensible/structured learning environments; (4) specialized curriculum content; (5) functional…

Prior to implementation of a supervisory staff development program, it is necessary to review current literature in the field of educational administration in order to define specific elements (domains) of the supervisory knowledge base. A qualitative research study involving a review of relevant literature yielded 13 primary domains or categories…

A description is given of a client-based approach to staff development that emphasizes ongoing professional growth and learning for teachers. The underlying assumptions of the program are that teachers possess important clinical expertise, and that professional learning is an adaptive, heuristic process that is long-term and nonlinear. The program…