Among all in-school factors that impact student learning, teachers carry the most weight -- but school leaders are not far behind. Decades of research have proven the positive influence principals can have on student achievement, school climate and teaching quality. New evidence suggests that their impact may be even greater than previously…

Assistive technology (AT) benefits many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The appropriate application of accommodation solutions, whether they involve the use of AT or not, can be a complex process involving a team of people with various backgrounds. This article describes an in-service AT training program that…

There is a shortage of educators and there are various factors that account for the lack of teachers. Millions of new teachers will be needed in the near future and the present study juxtaposes the vocational personality profiles of adolescents (N = 262) participating in Future Educators of America programs in Georgia to in-service teachers'…

The concept of staff development and continuous improvement for teachers and administrators is discussed in the context of a state-developed plan that allows teacher certification renewal only after participation in an approved local staff development program. The plan stipulates that local educational agencies identify student needs and…

Thirty-two vocational special needs paraprofessionals who attended a training certification workshop significantly increased their knowledge of and concern for special needs students. A comprehensive training model encompassing 12 special needs categories was developed. (SK)

Because children who are deaf or hard of hearing are being identified at birth, fitted with advanced hearing technology, and enrolled in early intervention programs, families increasingly seek professionals who can provide services that support their choice of listening and spoken language. The increased demand for these services and shortages of…

This publication is a collection of supportive material to aid educational personnel in planning programs for staff development and improvement. It is the result of an effort in 1973 by the Georgia Teacher Education Council's committee on staff development to devise a plan that would allow local agencies to: (1) identify student needs and the…

The Rockdale County Board of Education (Georgia) operated an inservice program on desegregation in 1969. The purpose of the program was to prepare the school system and the community for desegregation by working with the teaching staff. A Coordinating Committee was set up, which participated in sensitivity training sessions in order to lead small…

The Cooperative Education Service Agency, Atlanta, Georgia, discussed in this article, focuses on making staff development activities not only available, but meaningful and relevant. (Author/CB)

Describes an instructional model using paraprofessional concept for educating low incidence exceptional children in regular classrooms in rural areas where special facilities, materials, and teachers are not available. (JD)

If one "googles" the term "professional development" on the Web, he/she gets definitions such as "the development of skills both tangential and essential to one's current occupation." Digging a little deeper does not yield a common definition, just distinctions among education, training, and credentialing. Despite the…

Examined the impact of high-quality middle-level teacher preparation programs. Subjects were 2,139 teachers from 5 states. Middle schools with grades six through eight configurations were selected. Results showed that respondents prepared in comprehensive programs, had separate licensure, or who had taken more courses tended to give more favorable…

This monograph is presented as a practical guide for appraising the performance of classified employees in Georgia and contains materials designed for adaptation by other state school districts. The monograph provides a literature synthesis and a generic performance appraisal system. Following an introduction and overview, section 2,…

The program described in this manual is Project ROME-FOCUS--a field-oriented, competency-based instructional program for school administrators pursuing the sixth-year degree at Valdosta State College, Georgia. It is designed to help principals work more effectively with teachers in solving school problems. The manual is intended for use by both…