As an attempt to promote educational success in socio-economically disadvantaged contexts, area-based initiatives are often launched in Europe, such as the programme "Territórios Educativos de Intervenção Prioritária" in Portugal. Given the importance of teaching quality to enhance student learning and considerable student diversity in…

Two years ago, the then North American Council for Online Learning released the initial "Snapshot State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in Canada" report. This study was the first systematic examination of K-12 distance education policies and activities in each of the thirteen Canadian provinces and territories. One year ago, the…

A look at an Appalachian telecommunication satellite project which will provide region wide in-service teacher education programs, particularly for career education and reading. (HB)

Project LOCAL, a not-for-profit regional consortium, offers a broad spectrum of in-service training courses tailored to meet the needs of educators in various disciplines and levels of experience. The purpose of these offerings is to bridge the communication gap between innovative centers in computer-oriented education and staff members in Boston…

A consortium of 10 western states has developed plans for inservice programs to enhance teachers' competence in the metric system. The objectives, agreements, expectations, and plans are outlined in this paper. (SD)

The television course, "Teaching Elementary School Reading," represents the third in a series of inservice education programs developed and produced by the New Hampshire Network to improve the professional knowledge and skills of teachers previously isolated by geographic barriers characteristic of the rural environment of northern New…

Six conference papers discuss Regional Resource Centers for the Handicapped. Strategies of the Oregon and Utah Centers to accommodate unique regional requirements are explained, and the birth and development of the Regional Resource Centers system is summarized. The role and activities of the resource specialist are defined. Implications 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 Texas Commission for the Blind's (TCB's) braille literacy initiative is an agency-based program designed to enhance the braille skills of teaching staff. In addition, TCB has established braille-production stations in 30 of its district offices and offers technical assistance to regional rehabilitation personnel. (Author)

The paper outlines a procedure of providing staff development designed to meet the needs of all educational personnel, including teachers, support personnel, administrators, and parents. The role of the Central Ohio Instructional Resource Center in staff development is examined, followed by a discussion of needs assessment methods (such as content…

San Diego County, California, has established a program in which a mobile van visits cooperating schools to provide teachers with ideas for metric related activities. (SD)

Describes a college-based cooperative center which distributes instructional materials to local schools, helps teachers to develop their own materials, and provides equipment repair service on audiovisual equipment. Spinoffs from program include improvement of preservice teacher education. (RT)

Discusses the Microelectronics Education Programme's work in the communication and information systems domain, suggesting that teachers understanding the new technologies and incorporate them into regular classroom instruction. Focuses on computers in the classroom, economy of time, keyboard skills, life skills, and vocational training. (Author/JN)

The Appalachian Math Science Partnership (AMSP) is a project within NSF's (National Science Foundation's) Math Science Partnerships (MSP) initiative. Funded at $23 million over five years, the AMSP involved 51 school districts and nine higher education institutions in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. The AMSP faced two significant challenges in…

Described are a Texas special education region's activities with the 3-year Project CCEC (Changing Curriculum for Exceptional Children) which provides training in the application of the theories of J. Piaget to the education of exceptional children, and with Project SERT (Special Education for Regular Teachers) which trains regular classroom…