When the Model Work Standards were first crafted more than two decades ago, they were built on the premise that quality child care jobs are the cornerstone of high-quality services for children and families. The intent of these standards is to make it possible for those who choose teaching young children as a career to reasonably and responsibly…

Representatives from the Michigan Department of Education and the Center for Educational Performance and Information requested assistance in estimating Michigan's capacity to adequately staff its high schools to meet the course requirements of the new Michigan Merit Curriculum. The study team devised a formula to estimate the number of additional…

This brief report surveys the various ways in which institutions of higher learning compensate supplemental faculty workload. The survey, which achieved a 91 percent response rate, was conducted of 42 universities enrolling over 18,000 students. The survey asked about the length of academic terms and the methods used to write faculty supplemental…

Teacher's work and workload have been major factors in the recruitment, retention and revitalization of the profession. In January 2003 the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) launched a major reform known as remodelling, by which the work-life balance would be improved by freeing teachers up to teach, and using other members of the…

Practical suggestions for the use of volunteers in the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classroom, and strategies for planning the volunteer role, are offered. Nine potential roles for the volunteer are outlined, with specific recommendations for activities and topic areas that the volunteer can undertake. These include: classroom monitor,…

This article employs the concepts of "professional jurisdiction" and "formal knowledge" to examine threats to teacher professionalism in England arising from the British government's "workload remodelling" policy to expand the numbers and remit of staff in schools without qualified teacher status. The connection…

An exploratory study focused on teacher participation in the decision-making processes of personnel selection in public schools. A stratified random selection procedure was employed to select a sample of public school teachers (kindergarten through 12th grade) in a large midwestern state. The survey was mailed to a total of 305 teachers, 60…

Many social and intellectual forces focus introductory courses not on the process of inquiry but on its products. Changes that can help refocus these courses include limiting class size, emphasizing writing skills, having all levels of faculty teach the courses, and promoting exchange of ideas in the classroom. (MSE)

A discussion of the implications of adopting a new example for pharmaceutical education focuses on the need to develop a new pharmacy college culture and on the faculty's role in addressing stated educational goals. Anticipated changes in staffing and faculty development and difficulties in reorganizing curricula are examined. (MSE)

These two learning modules are designed to assist both new and experienced instructors and/or administrators in obtaining maximum value from the input of advisory committees. The first module consists of seven sections devoted to the formation and utilization of advisory committees. Topics covered in it are the role of the advisory committee,…

The report offers a comparison of instruction time for beginning languages at St. Olaf College (Minnesota) and 17 other colleges and universities, and concludes with recommendations for curricular change at St. Olaf College. Contact hours ranged from 80 hours (St. Olaf) to 171 hours. The study was undertaken in response to faculty concern that not…

Reports the results of a survey which examined the status of library media centers in public schools given exemplary status by the U.S. Department of Education and makes recommendations in the areas of staffing, the role of the library, and funding which would have a significant impact on elementary education. (CLB)

This guide provides tools and strategies for recruiting, managing, and using paraeducators in schools. It offers guidelines for using paraeducators in ways that best contribute to student achievement as well as strategies for identifying best practices, time frames, and people best suited for training paraprofessionals. It includes specific…

An outline of the basic elements and services of the Chicago public high schools' bilingual education programs provides information to assist staff at all levels in implementing the programs. The information includes: (1) descriptions of the basic program components (core instruction in the native language, instruction in English as a second…

A method for designing a foreign language program is presented. The guide is intended for use at the department level in British schools and based on new national curriculum requirements for modern language instruction. The resulting program should be a team effort, relate to the general philosophy and curricular policies and objectives of the…