Online learning is growing rapidly as states and districts are creating new online schools, and existing programs are adding new courses and students. The growth reflects the spreading understanding that online courses and programs can serve a wide variety of students and needs. These include: (1) Creating opportunities for small and rural school…

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…

Quality substance abuse training for 279 educational personnel (school counselors, school nurses, and school psychologists) across the state of Alabama was provided in a series of two-day training sessions through a federal grant. Although the original grant proposed 7 training sessions, 9 training sessions were ultimately offered over the course…

This paper reports results of a research study linked to the effort of preparing teachers involved in literacy programs for a large adult population of non-native speakers of English in the state of Texas. Because of a state-initiated plan in Texas, the "Indicators of Program Quality for Adult Education and Literacy," extensive…

Evidence suggests that school focused staff development programs are more likely to bring about real school improvement because the individual school is the primary unit of change. These guidelines for the development and implementation of school-focused delivery of staff development programs were prepared for Georgia school systems. The term…

This paper presents findings of a study that evaluated the impact and institutionalization of Project READ/Inquiring School, a school-reform project for systemic change. The product of collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh and several school districts in western Pennsylvania, the project's goals are: (1) to help schools build literacy…

The California Library Association has established a mentoring program to assist new or reentering librarians in establishing themselves in the profession. At the end of 3 years, the Mentor/Protege program had over 50 participating pairs of experienced and novice librarians. The program is described, and suggestions are given for implementing a…

This is the first report from a 3-year evaluation of Part B of the Eisenhower Professional Development Program, the U.S. Department of Education's single largest investment dedicated to developing teachers' knowledge and skills. The report presents 10 emerging themes about the program resulting from exploratory case studies of 6 school districts…

The objective of a collaborative program entitled Professional Alternative Consortium for Teachers (PACT) is to provide significant contributions to teacher preparation and induction programs as well as to provide a professional alternative for support teachers. The PACT program is a collaboration between the Jefferson County Public Schools…

Outcomes and applications of Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL) study groups composed of teachers and administrators to investigate a single educational issue and develop a product of use to practitioners are described in this report. Contents include an introduction of the study group as a professional development tool, a discussion of the…

This publication provides information on current research on teaching and teacher education. The abstracts contained here have been organized into three major categories: teacher education programs, professional development, and intellectual growth. In addition to addressing a variety of topics, these papers are based upon a range of scholarly…

Mountain Empire Community College (MECC), Southwest Virginia Community College (SVCC), Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC), and Clinch Valley College (CVC), a four-year institution, participated in a cooperative professional development program to enrich their support staff and explore support staff dynamics. The colleges used the…

The needs of those who move from classrooms into administrative offices must be addressed if school systems are to achieve effectiveness. Presented in this paper is a brief description of the elements of an effective school administrator induction program. A justification for administrator induction programs distinct from those of teacher…

This document is a transcript of a panel discussion on the development and early stages of implementation of an accountability system for vocational education professional personnel development in Pennsylvania. Representatives of the Bureau of Vocational and Adult Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education, and three of the four participating…