Nearly half (45%) of students in DC Public Schools are males of color. Despite improvements district-wide, there are still considerable achievement gaps between young men of color and their peers. We must work harder to ensure that all students--particularly boys and young men of color--share equally in District of Columbia Public Schools' (DCPS')…

Faculty and staff involvement in the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) begins with the Director of Physical Activity (DPA) motivating them to "buy in" to the need for a CSPAP. The DPA will need to train staff to develop and integrate physical activity throughout the school day, encourage them to be involved in the before- and…

In recent years, instructional supervision has been given a great deal of attention in teacher education professional literature. However, few reported studies have specifically focused on desired qualities of instructional supervisors, especially in Third World countries. This paper reports the perceptions of teachers, headteachers and senior…

This paper describes and discusses an action research collaboration between a multi-disciplinary team of practice educators, a practice development nurse and a university lecturer in order to explore, evaluate and improve a dementia care training package developed for a range of staff providing care for people with dementia. Whilst it is…

This study investigates the leadership strategies of successful principals. Previous research has indicated that principals who are successful engage in multiple practices to meet the needs of changing educational settings. For example, the "International Successful School Principal Project" (ISSPP) identified a core set of basic…

A program initiated to demonstrate the use of retired teachers to enhance the quality of teaching by new teachers at the City University of New York is described in this report. Retired teachers were recommended by their former principals on the basis of criteria relating to mentoring functions. After a 4-day training period, mentors were assigned…

In this dialogue between two specialists in staff development of child caregivers, the roles of early childhood teachers and child care directors are considered. The need for teachers to observe play and the ways in which training can motivate teachers to observe play are discussed. Directors need to model observation skills for novice teachers.…

Advocating development for all continuing education staff, the author asserts that staff who understand adult education theory, the goals and visions of the organization, the environmental context of continuing education, and the roles of other staff members will be more effective. Also essential are support mechanisms that facilitate change. (SK)

Camp counselors who are "life changers" nurture relationships within which others can grow and explore. They challenge children to reinvent the boundaries of what they expect of themselves. Such people have common characteristics that include love, humor, forgiveness, honesty, humility, encouragement, generosity, and integrity. The…

This digest describes teacher mentoring and its different applications. A list of 10 characteristics and activities inherent in any mentor-protege relationship is provided. A discussion is presented on the ways that mentoring, an essentally informal process, has been formalized in business firms and school systems. In considering the benefits that…

Teen risk-taking is normal, healthy developmental behavior. Teens act out their fantasies--good and bad--at camp because it is a safe place away from parents. Signs of unhealthy risk-taking, camp staff responses, and how the September 11 tragedy might affect risk-taking are discussed. Sidebars describe tips for understanding adolescent behavior…

Helping staff get along with each other can sometimes be more challenging than helping young children get along. A director can feel like a referee instead of a leader of professionals when staff bicker with each other. Many directors find that efforts made to strengthen everyone's skills in giving and responding to feedback help a great deal.…

This book, which is based on the premise that teaching is basically a performing art, focuses on the issues involved in training teachers to become excellent performers. The book's 15 chapters describe how teacher can, through demonstration and coaching by other expert teachers, learn the generic skills and performing moves of exceptional…

Teacher education programs for preservice teachers have traditionally focused on study of the theoretical base of instructional strategies and on observation of relatively expert demonstrations. Until recently, practice, feedback, and coaching functions were reserved for student teaching experiences or delayed until induction and inservice…

The purpose of this paper is to suggest some ways in which present pressures on institutions and their facilities to be more productive can be more creatively met. The main theme of the paper is that many faculty are ready and able to change their styles of work and are prepared to engage in professional activities of substantially different…