The three articles included in this dissertation are connected through theory and practice. Study one identifies the factors influencing Extension agents' participation in supplemental professional development opportunities using Ajzen's (1985) theory of planned behavior. Study two was a systematic investigation of Extension personnel's…

The pandemic has amplified and exacerbated many of the existing challenges facing the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC) and forced the field to innovate and change much of what had become the status quo. The McCormick Center has a 30-year history of providing intensive (6-12 months in duration), cohesive (curriculum content is…

In this study, it was aimed to determine the views of the education inspectors about the in-service training (IST) they attended and the problems they experience during IST. Quantitative and qualitative design were used together in the study. The data were collected through the In-Service Training Assessment Scale (ISTA) and an open-ended…

As states face tough economic times, extension organizations are increasingly emphasizing the importance of evaluation data to show program value. However, little is known about the evaluation skills and abilities of extension professionals expected to collect such data. This knowledge would help inform professional development opportunities…

Those people involved in the professional development school (PDS) effort have arrived at a time in their brief history when PDS partnerships can break the status quo and become contemporary laboratories of innovation for ushering in change and a new era of PK-12 education integrated with teacher education. In this chapter, the author appreciates…

The data from this study details the challenges to implementing comprehensive school counseling programs in Wisconsin high schools. Results suggest that current professional development training practices may be ineffective in assisting high school counselors to implement key components of the ASCA National Model in their schools. This article…

This study reports the results on the needs of an emerging population of Career-Technical Education (CTE) teachers in Ohio. The purposes of the study were to determine the needs of the teachers and the effectiveness of the teacher education program they completed to add the CTE license. Twenty six academic teachers added a CTE license through a…

State coordinators of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs completed a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, or SWOT, analysis that consisted of 12 evaluative areas of EHDI programs. For the professional development area, 47 coordinators responded with a total of 223 items, and themes were identified in each SWOT…

Despite the key role that principals play in leading schoolwide change, districts' efforts to support principals are often limited, particularly in rural settings. In this article, we report the preliminary findings of a cross-district mentoring program for nine midcareer rural school principals. The collaboratively developed human resource…

How leaders learn to become leaders has been an area of much research. When asked what were the key experiences in learning leadership, leaders often speak of the importance of "on-the-job" experiences, yet these experiences are rarely fully detailed in the research literature. The importance of "apprenticeships" and being…

The Delphi Method of group communication was used with experienced distance education stakeholders in the United States from the areas of research, policy, and practice to identify priorities in K-12 distance education over the next five years. Data from the three rounds of this study were organized and compared using descriptive statistics. The…

A study was conducted to ascertain the extent to which colleges and universities are integrating new technology education curriculum activities into teacher inservice and professional development programs. Information was gathered by developing a questionnaire, pilot testing it, and mailing it to 50 selected colleges and universities for…

This study evaluated the manpower-training program for teaching personnel in mid-western Nigeria by the National Teachers' Institute. Overall, 240 participants involved in the training program who were randomly selected from the area constituted the sample for the study. A questionnaire designed by the authors was the major instrument used for…

Recent trends have resulted in schools implementing an extensive range of preventive and corrective activity oriented to students' needs and problems. Some programs are provided through a school district, others are carried out at, or linked to, targeted schools. Some are owned and operated by schools; some are owned by community agencies. Few…

A needs assessment was conducted to determine the training and professional development needs of vocational education teachers in South Carolina. The study was designed to identify the skills/skill areas that are used on a day-to-day basis by vocational teachers; those for which they received training either prior to certification or in the course…