The World Economic Forum (WEF) found that Botswana's information and communication technology (ICT) networked readiness index (NRI) had declined from position 89 in 2012 to 104 in 2015. A decline in Botswana's ICT NRI resulted in a modest gross domestic product (GDP) growth increasing from 4.2% in 2012 to 5.0% in 2015. The purpose of this…

Out-of-school time (OST) is a growing field that includes afterschool, evening, weekend, summer, school-age care, childcare, positive youth development, and workforce development programs (NIOST, 2000). Research demonstrates that OST professional development is critical to program quality and student impact (Weiss, 2005/2006). In an effort to…

As difficult as the economy is at a personal level, school systems across the country are also struggling to find solutions to applying limited funds to seemingly unlimited challenges. Professional learning, as National Staff Development Council (NSDC) President Charles Mason says in his column, is often among the first things to be cut from a…

Over the past six years, the authors have been project leaders for three distance education initiatives in Cape Verde and Mozambique: (1) a blended learning master's degree in multimedia in education for faculty in Cape Verdean public higher education institutions (2005-2008); (2) a teacher training programme for 1375 elementary teachers provided…

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) has become a policy priority in many countries. A growing body of research recognises that it provides a wide range of benefits, including social and economic benefits, better child well-being and learning outcomes as a foundation for lifelong learning, more equitable outcomes and reduction of poverty, and…

A description is given of a doctoral program in staff development. The purpose of the program is to prepare professionals to become effective change agents. In order for professional staff developers to effect change and growth, they must fully understand the change processes. (JD)

Describes the change strategies involved in moving a mediocre child care program onto the road to excellence. Highlights strategies focusing on changing staff perceptions of themselves and their practices with families, obtaining honest observations of staff, visiting other programs for inservice training, examining educational practices in terms…

The complexities of designing and operating inservice education programs are examined. This publication is organized into four major areas. Chapter one defines the interrelated series of current staff development activities as observed by the authors. Chapter two contains findings that have influenced thinking about the problems discussed in the…

College and university strategic planning works best when staff performance appraisal and development are used together to bring about both organizational and individual change. However, these must be more than bureaucratic exercises unrelated to daily staff management. Individual staff must be able to see themselves as important in carrying out…

Describes school restructuring themes that may be promoted through staff development, including developing a purpose and shared vision, challenging traditional norms of schooling, creating a collaborative school culture, establishing new roles in school governance, and encouraging reflective practice and critical inquiry. Addresses the role of…

Discusses the need for coordinated efforts between an organization and its staff development support that are congruent with the articulated goals of the district, the school sites, and individual members of the organization. Strategies are presented for changing the role of staff developers in renewal efforts that support a learning organization.…

Teachers' personal concerns related to the tension between a bureaucratic and a professional conception of teacher evaluation are seen as a major roadblock to school reform. Suggests strategies for using the Stages of Concern Model to address the concerns of teachers as they implement an educational innovation. (16 references) (MLF)

Discusses staff development, examining data from a project involving the University of Houston and seven schools. Teacher interviews revealed five dimensions of school context affecting opportunities for their professional development (interpersonal, structural, individual, leadership, and synergistic). (SM)

To determine what effect a series of inservice programs for school administrators had on participating school principals and their schools, principals filled out questionnaires before and after five inservice programs. Changes were noted in three domains of participant characteristics--cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. (JW)

The demand, supply, sponsorship, and need for staff development and training activities for middle level college administrators is examined through interviews with nearly 200 administrators and faculty at 20 colleges and universities, and a review of the literature. It is explained that middle level staff serve three functions--as liaison with…