Among the principal's most powerful tools for school improvement and effectiveness are program and personnel evaluation. Professional specialists, however, are especially difficult to evaluate. This document presents the Professional Support Personnel (PSP) Evaluation Model for evaluating nonteaching, nonadministrative professionals. These…

This report reviews changes in higher education staff by occupation between 1993 and 1997. Specific attention is paid to staffing patterns in states with right to work laws compared to those without it. When a state enacts a right to work law, it can be assumed it is not supportive of public unions. This analysis is based on data from the National…

The graded payment method of receiving traditional annuity benefits was introduced by the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA) in 1982 to introduce an inflation-fighting factor into the annuity program. Under the graded method, in contrast to the standard method, a part of current annuity dividend income is withheld each year to…

Crisis intervention is a vital component of any comprehensive approach to maintaining psychological well being. An active school-based crisis intervention team can make a powerful contribution to a school's sense of community and commitment to taking care of each other. This special edition presents promising practices that may be helpful to…

The status of professional employees at colleges and their role within the unionized workplace are considered in two articles. In "The Position of Professional Employees," Eliot Freidson discusses findings of a study on professionals and implications for college collective bargaining. Attention is directed to the validity of the position…

This document is one in a series that addresses issues of employment and dismissal matters in the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. This issue focuses on employment at will, which exists at the will of each party. At-will employees are employed for an indefinite term; either side may end the employment without the others' consent.…

Conference papers and recommendations on the implementation of Chapter 1 services are reviewed. Four issues of concern emerged from the research papers. These issues were reviewed by a panel of experts, and a set of recommendations was developed for more effective and prudent application of Chapter 1 principles and funding. These recommendations…

The recent United States Supreme Court decision in "Franklin v. Gwinnett County Public Schools" highlights the additional risks facing school districts and employees under federal statutes and the common law as a result of sexual misconduct by school employees. The "Franklin" case illustrates that damages could be available to…

With adequate preparation, effort, and commitment, the school system's collective bargaining process can become an opportunity for management and employee organizations to resolve significant concerns. This paper recommends nine steps for a pragmatic approach to negotiations. (1) Prepare: Preparation includes reviewing the current collective…

Information on provisions of group life insurance plans and the tendency of colleges and universities to provide this coverage is considered. There has been an increase in the percentage of institutions adopting group life insurance plans over the last decade. Absence of coverage is concentrated among smaller two-year and four-year institutions…

This document examines legal issues in the negligent hiring and retention of North Carolina Department of Public Instruction school employees. There are no statutes that relate specifically to negligent hiring or retention; it is a judicially created area of law. This document centers around employees who cause injury to school children, but the…

Results of a survey on unions representing clerical workers at the largest public and private U.S. universities are summarized. The incidence of strike activity among these unions and the degree of organizing activity in universities where clerical workers are not represented by unions were determined. It was found that most of the unionization of…

This issue presents guidelines for pupil services by blending theory and practice. It reports on promising practices in pupil services disciplines in Wisconsin and stimulates professional activity in the field. Articles address guidance programs, learning disability services and self-concept through media production, and include a review of the…

This report provides a descriptive overview of nonteaching employees in higher education institutions. The data for the report comes from the 1993 Fall Staff Survey of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) produced by the National Center for Education Statistics. The nonteaching staff at higher education institutions includes…

During a crisis, parents can do a great deal to help their child deal with grief and anxiety. This special issue provides information and promising practices that might be helpful in dealing with various crisis situations. Provides the following articles: (1) "Children Killing Children" (Kevin Dwyer); (2) "Disaster: Helping Children…