Nearly two decades of research has taught some powerful lessons about how to design and implement meaningful and effective professional development for teachers. This newsletter examines the characteristics of high-quality professional development and offers some suggestions for improving its impact and effectiveness. For reform efforts centered…

This report summarizes results of a survey of states, teacher centers, and professional organizations on the status of teacher inservice and staff development. The 43 states and the District of Columbia that responded to the survey have a state level plan for both inservice and professional development. Some, by law, require implementation of the…

This paper describes the Oklahoma Statewide Training and Regional Support (STARS) program, a system of early intervention inservice training developed to comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part H. Major challenges included identification of technical assistance needs, facilitation of training attendance, identification…

The document contains the annual reports (1983/84 and 1984/85) of the Austin (Texas) Independent School District's gifted and talented program. Major accomplishments of the first year were reorganization with the implementation of the AIM High program at the elementary level and an honors program at the secondary level; design and implementation…

The report summarizes findings and recommendations of a Virginia Department of Education Task Force concerning the establishment of comprehensive hearing screening programs in Virginia's public schools. Special emphasis was on findings of Project HEAR (Hearing Education and Resources) which found that mass hearing screenings could be conducted in…

Addressing professional and popular concern about identifying and adequately rewarding excellent teachers, the authors describe a proposal for selecting master/mentor teachers and utilizing them in demonstration schools. There are six specific elements that should make any master teacher proposal realistic and educationally and economically…

This document tracks the 1983 implementation in 11 New York City schools of the Program to Raise Educational Performance (PREP), designed for ninth graders who do not meet high school entrance requirements. Under the program, students may enter high school, take credit courses, and also receive special support and theme-related remedial reading…

This guide presents the Iowa standard for developing a plan to provide at risk students with the additional help they need to succeed. The standard requires a linkage of local, state, and federal resources within each local education agency. Section 1 is an introduction. Section 2 presents a statement of the objectives and the specific provisions…

A conceptual framework that provides a mechanism for anticipating the worth and potential success of staff development activities, in advance of their implementation, is described. In the first section, descriptions are given of the four main components of the staff development framework: defining staff development, salient organizational…

The University of California, its campuses, and their individual schools and departments of education have substantial responsibilities for providing research, training, service, and leadership in the field of education. The responsibilities of the units differ. As yet, however, none is fully meeting its obligations to improve education. Part I of…

Based on an earlier study of approaches to training English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) and adult basic education (ABE) instructors, the current report draws implications and makes recommendations for delivering effective staff development. The five implications are that: (1) ABE and ESL teachers, volunteer instructors, and trainers will attend…

This report summarizes a goal evaluation study of the Personnel Preparation Program, one of five divisions in the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSHERS). The Personnel Preparation Program is intended to increase the numbers of qualified…

An overall strategy is reported for updating secondary and postsecondary vocational/technical teachers in the technologies of their teaching areas. It is designed for use by vocational educators and others who provide technological update: local school, institution, and district administrators and boards; teacher educators; vocational/technical…

Presents findings from studies that provide guidelines to policymakers and administrators on a range of issues related to school improvement. The first set of issues deals with deciding upon the nature of the desired changes. The second set deals with planning how to proceed. One hundred twenty-eight footnotes are appended. (IW)

A Michigan task force examined existing and needed services for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to assist school districts in developing services and to create a systematic plan for statewide information dissemination regarding referral, assessment, identification, intervention strategies, and legal mandates.…