This guide begins with background information useful to understanding Illinois' framework for implementation and evaluation of Programs of Study. It starts with a visual depiction of the relationships between activity at the federal, state and local levels that evolved to the creation of Illinois' Career Cluster Model. This Model, which is based…

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) on October 23-24, 2008, to conduct interviews with individuals who play important roles in the university's teacher preparation program. These interviews, along with additional documentation provided by UNCG and identified by…

This article details a strategic planning model and concurrent 3-year research study focusing on the benefits of preK-16 professional development school learning communities for the participating preK-16 educational leaders in a midwestern school-university partnership network. Results of the study, along with the strategic plan's success at…

Written by a practicing superintendent for practitioners, this book provides guidelines for becoming a vision-based, reflective leader. Part 1 (chapters 1 through 6) conveys general principles of educational leadership based on personal experience. Part 2 (chapters 7 through 11) provides examples of effective, exemplary programs from Pittsburgh…

This paper presents findings of an evaluation of a 2-day training workshop, that was designed to enhance professionals' skills in working with three- and four-year old children in developmentally appropriate ways. The participants included 22 administrators, 72 teachers, and 25 teacher aides at 6 different training sites in a southern state. A…

This paper describes the development of a teachers' book club as a form of professional development, based on the premise that teachers are leaders and can be responsible for their own professional development, if given a framework and opportunity to do so. Data sources included a survey and interviews with club members. Analysis of the success of…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on management assessment. In "The Air Force ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) Selection System as a Predictor of Leadership" (Orlando V. Griego, George A. Morgan, Gary D. Geroy), 102 ROTC cadets rated their own leadership characteristics and were rated by subordinates; leaders and…

Suggests that if the Association for Business Communication does not adopt an aggressive posture and seek greater responsibility and accountability, then it will not meet the professional needs of many of its members. Outlines steps toward improving the effectiveness of the association. (SRT)

This framework is designed to serve as a general map for the development of English language arts curricula by schools, school districts, or collaboratives. It is not a curriculum guide. Rather, it provides a structure that local agencies can employ in planning curriculum and instruction tailored to their own needs and circumstances. This…

This article responds to critiques of "Natural Supports in the Workplace: The Jury Is Still Out" (Test and Wood) by focusing on what was on trial, the need to define natural supports, the interaction between policy and practice, and implications of natural supports on personnel preparation. (CR)

A prereferral model consisting of three components (information sharing sessions, peer exchange sessions, and peer coaching teams) was implemented in two inner-city elementary schools. Emphasis was on teachers assisting each other in generating solutions for student learning or behavior problems. Referral rates indicated that participants referred…

Describes the evaluation of a training program in the Netherlands to enhance the professional competence of residential child-care workers in dealing with difficult situations involving adolescents. Pretest and posttest data from 35 adult subjects and 20 controls indicate a significant increase in knowledge and behavior after the program. (SLD)

Discusses the challenges in assessing Professional Development School (PDS) impacts, noting examples of assessments from the literature. The paper outlines a conceptual framework for assessment and explains how it may help organize more systematic thinking about PDS evaluation. Examples from a multisite case study demonstrate how one consortium of…

Compared Professional Development School (PDS) and non-PDS graduates regarding retention in teaching, teaching effectiveness, and perceptions of professional preparation. Surveys of beginning teachers and principals found no differences in teacher retention. Principals rated PDS graduates higher in some aspects of teaching effectiveness. PDS…

This article discusses the significant personnel shortages in education and rehabilitation in the field of blindness and visual impairment and provides a brief overview of one approach to addressing this shortage, distance education. Distance learning environments and strategies are described, along with evidence of the effectiveness of distance…