Test security has increased in importance in the last few years given high-profile cases of educator misconduct. This paper provides a review of state test security statutes and regulations related to statewide achievement testing using as a framework recent best practices reports by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education…

This report describes the Teacher Resource and Computer Training Center Program that was enacted in 1984 by the New York State Education Department to provide systematic, ongoing professional development services for the state's teachers. It is a collaborative program involving teachers, school administrators, higher education representatives,…

Special education staff development activities in Maine are listed, and ways to serve Maine's rural areas are described. Long range goals in Maine's Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (as required by P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) are listed for collaboration, needs assessment, resource/data collection,…

The goal of the Michigan plan for school staff development is to clearly describe a comprehensive approach to staff development. The plan relies on two basic assumptions. The first is that local school staff should be involved in the planning process. The second is that the state has a unique and specific role to play in facilitating quality…

Lessons for gifted education inservice derived from the Illinois Area Service Centers include: attention to real needs, well planned developmental models, training efforts targeted toward specific outcomes for specific groups, opportunity for followup observation and monitoring, and techniques for continuing personal staff development and renewal.…

This booklet provides a brief overview of teacher and administrator incentive programs, discussing such aspects as leadership, funding, teacher support, evaluation, and outcomes. A chart presents information on the kinds of incentive programs offered by each of the states, followed by descriptive narratives of each state program. State contacts…

The first paper (by Jim Jarrett) in this monograph on the Kansas State Inservice Plan offers an overview of one facet of staff development plans, i.e., peer coaching and its effectiveness in teacher inservice education. The next paper (by Dan Neuenswander) reviews the Kansas State Department of Education Inservice Plan, defining inservice and/or…

This guide summarizes information and procedures from recent research on staff development and provides examples of staff development practices in Georgia school systems. Section 1 describes a new vision for staff development, with a focus on student development as a strategy for organizational change. Section 2 looks at the expanding role of the…

Partnerships among education agencies including institutions of higher education, local school districts, and the State Department of Education offer tremendous opportunities for attaining the mutual goal of educational improvement in Mississippi. A collaborative staff development program for teachers is described. (CB)

This handbook is designed to assist staff development committees in planning and conducting effective staff development programs. Administrative rules governing the establishment of staff development programs are set forth and clarified. A model for staff development describes the following steps for developing a program: (1) establish a board…

The report describes the Dissemination Model Assistance Project (DMAP), designed to assist state education agencies to comply with requirements of P.L. 94-142 (The Education For All Handicapped Children Act) for a comprehensive system of Personnel Development, specifically the dissemination and adoption of proven practices. The project drew on…

In Florida, a legislatively mandated funding program supports statewide staff development efforts, which are primarily school-based. (Author)

This document offers three articles reporting research and practice on the use of paraeducators to provide support to students with disabilities and their teachers. Emphasis is on research funded by the Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs. The first article notes the increasing use of paraeducators to provide…

Reports results of a survey of states concerning state provisions for mediation to settle disputes in gifted education. It finds that 21 states have such provisions at either the state level or as a local option. Advocates for gifted education are urged to publicize the availability of mediation services and encourage staff development in its use.…

A report is given of a study conducted on the nature and extent of support that local school systems in Maryland currently provide to new teachers. The study had two components: a statewide survey and case studies of promising programs. The survey polled Associate or Assistant Superintendents of Instruction in 23 of Maryland's 24 county school…