Describes one South Carolina school district's approach to staff development for classified staff (e.g., nurses, custodians, bus drivers, food service workers, maintenance personnel, substitutes, and secretaries). Program planning, implementation, and evaluation involved collaborative and comprehensive efforts. This paper makes seven…

Staff developers for classified staff must unite and network to share resources and more effectively fulfill their duties. This paper examines several reasons why it is important to offer staff development to classified employees and discusses general trends in classified staff development. The paper concludes with seven recommendations for…

New roles and responsibilities for classroom aides necessitate updating the name of the job and professional development for these employees. This paper examines the necessary content and process of paraeducator professional development, explaining that the key to effective ongoing professional development can be assured only by developing a…

Offers 20 guidelines that facilitators can use in planning effective workshops and staff development sessions. The guidelines take into account the diversity of individuals attending the workshops and ways in which to accommodate various learning styles. (GLR)

A model program, developed by the Institute for the Development of Educational Activities (/I/D/E/A), to prepare staff development specialists for school improvement projects is described. In this model, trainees experience the staff development processes they will be implementing in schools during their training.

Alaska has mounted an intensive statewide staff development effort to help teachers and administrators use research-based practices. Leadership teams from each school, with assistance from the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, develop improvement plans and implementation strategies. Administrators, teachers, and school board members…

Examines a staff development program that helped school administrators become more supportive, well-versed technological leaders in their schools. The program trained participants in use of educational technology and encouraged positive attitudes toward it. After discussing the development, implementation, and evaluation of the program, the…

Questions and answers about staff development examine: what it is; why it is important; what teachers did not learn in college; collaboration; funding; connections between staff development and student learning; indicators of effective staff development; and improving staff development quality. Data come from six key national reports on…

Profiles of three introspective U.S. corporations show how they have taken significant steps to promote organizational learning. By considering the implications for schools, staff developers can foster organizational learning practices for professional development and school improvement. This paper discusses the learning organization as a common…

This article explores how Asians foster community and nourish spirit in staff development settings, discussing the role of rituals in learning communities, contrasting Asian approaches with North American approaches, and arguing for including rituals in staff development for a more balanced sharing of learning across cultures. (SM)

The training and development programs of the NCR Corporation offer useful ideas for educators interested in increasing effectiveness of inservice teacher education. Implications for use of NCR's personnel training programs as a basis for staff development are offered. (DF)

Kimberly-Clark Corporation's approach to needs assessment, program planning, program delivery, and follow-up programs that incorporate an andragogical perspective are explored in this article. Implications for school staff developers are presented. (DF)

A staff development model on the topic of mainstreaming was designed around three components: workshops, technical assistance, and program visitations. Evaluation data collected from each component indicated that feedback from the staff concerning the work of consultants needs to be shared with the principal. (JN)

This article describes a six-year effort to link inservice training for experienced teachers with teacher preservice and induction for the novice teacher. It provides a rationale for using staff development training to strengthen preservice and induction programs, and discusses program goals, training components, program outcomes, and…

Education requires continuing renewal of members to retain and increase its rigor and artistry. The article examines hallmarks that demonstrate that educators meet the criteria necessary and provide justification for ongoing professional development. Programs must focus on professional competence to guarantee students a safe, stimulating,…