Describes problems facing personnel preparation in community-based vocational and residential services for adults with developmental disabilities. Recommends plans of action to allay these problems: (1) direction and coordination of adult services; (2) assessment of providers' personnel training needs; and (3) evaluation and strengthening of…

Describes a Sonoma County (California) school district's peer coaching program designed to meet the needs of new, probationary, and experienced teachers. The program succeeded because participation was voluntary, the training empowered teachers and improved their coaching skills, and teachers continued to meet as a group and learn from each other.…

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)

Discusses four decision-making models and applies them to the evaluation of staff development programs. (SR)

This annotated bibliography recommends 58 readings in 9 categories from the training literature for reference librarians: (1) overviews; (2) establishing an atmosphere to facilitate learning; (3) assessing needs; (4) defining competent performance; (5) writing training objectives; (6) selecting training methodologies; (7) maintaining skill levels;…

The staff development process a school district used to develop a writing-across-the-curriculum program is described. The process's six essential elements involve exploring, shaping, implementing, revising, sharing, and publishing, could be applied to other staff development efforts. (CB)

The skills needed to become a team leader include not being afraid to admit ignorance; knowing when to intervene; learning to share power; being concerned about what one takes on; and getting used to learning on the job. Examples of men and women who have become team leaders demonstrate how these skills can be developed. (JOW)

An adult educator's experience of delivering a paper via videoconferencing led to these conclusions: there is a danger that such technologies will be limited to those with technical skills and knowledge and to institutions able to have such facilities, and adult educators should be trained in the use of the Integrated Services Digital Network and…

Wisconsin Power and Light used results of an employee survey on cultural diversity to develop a training program based on increasing awareness of the significance of being able to work together. At workshops, employees identify specific individual actions they are responsible for and formulate work-group ground rules that respect diversity. (SK)

Describes eight Head Start programs on the outer Pacific Islands and their unique adaptation of Head Start. Describes the "Beyond the Horizon Project," a satellite-transmitted learning program for Head Start staff and parents, the result of which is that each Head Start grantee is following an individual improvement plan based on…

Explores procedures for improving the teaching of reading through the use of a direct instruction staff development model based on research that includes the application of five principles of effective staff development. Includes theory presentation, demonstration, guided practice, classroom practice, feedback, and coaching. (PRA)

To reduce teacher isolation and encourage sharing of expertise, schools should consider brief workshops or 15-minute "micro-shops" on various topics ranging from making electrical circuit boards to setting up a salt-water aquarium. This article and accompanying sidebar discuss benefits and set-up strategies. (MLH)

Maryland's third unobtrusive reference/information survey, which was conducted by an independent consulting firm, found that good reference service is a result of variables within each librarian's control. Training programs that were developed after previous surveys appear to have increased librarians' effectiveness. Findings of the survey are…

Discusses training of new admission office personnel, especially in the areas of office orientation, admission fundamentals, computer instruction, and public speaking. Discusses planning and implementation of the training program, notes ongoing challenges to the program, and describes positive aspects of the program as described by trainees and…

The Ciba chemical plant in Monthey, Switzerland, follows the Ciba-Geigy Industrial Group's general environment policy. They apply economic, less polluting production methods, dispose of waste efficiently, and train staff in ecological responsibility. (JOW)