Rural school boards have a unique opportunity to impact education by involving teachers, administrators, and the community in policy development. To make policy an instrument of empowerment, policymakers should consider the following steps: (1) seeking information from any and all groups that the policy will affect to develop a statement about…

School library media specialists in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia were surveyed in April 1990 to determine their perceptions of their training needs as they are being called upon to use the latest information technologies to access, transfer, and store information. The 2,202 responses received represented a response rate of…

This workshop facilitator's guide is designed to inform professional staff about competency-based vocational education (CBVE) to help eligible persons on public assistance acquire competencies necessary for gainful employment in the following occupational areas: airline reservations and travel services; computer applications; dental care;…

Teachers describe their professional development experiences regarding science, science teaching, and science learning as they occurred over a 2.5 year period in the Literacy in Science and Social Studies Project in a professional development school setting. They contrast their experiences in this collaborative setting with more traditional models…

The first section of the update lists responses received to date to a survey of teacher portfolio use. Fourteen preservice and inservice teacher education programs and 12 kindergarten through grade 12 school districts responded with brief descriptions of their portfolio use and with contacts and addresses for further information. The second…

This guidebook is intended to help state literacy leaders evaluate their states' progress in implementing five key strategies for establishing an integrated literacy system. Chapters are devoted to each of the following strategies: determine the dimensions of the literacy problem, set priorities and performance expectations, create quality…

The usefulness of portfolios for professional development and reflection was studied in the disciplines of physical therapy and nursing. The student sample may not represent the larger population of professional students, but data are presented as useful in understanding more about the general phenomenon of use of portfolios in professional…

This guide identifies considerations in the organization, operation, and evaluation of secondary and postsecondary vocational education programs. It contains both a vocational program guide and Career Merit Achievement Plan (Career MAP) for metal fabrication. The guide contains the following sections: occupational description; program content…

This paper provides an overview of educational, legal, and philosophical aspects of integration of Massachusetts students with disabilities. It discusses effective practices based on current research, the experience of parents and practitioners, and model programs. Introductory sections consider the importance of the integration concept and offer…

This newsletter presents a brief summary of central findings of a national survey designed to gather a systematic profile of the range and type of telecommunications activities being conducted by teachers for professional development or student learning. Responses were received from 550 of the 1,100 educators who were contacted through…

This paper has been written as a supporting paper to "A Bridge to the Future: Australia's National Strategy for Vocational Education and Training 1998-2003" (ED 420 764). Technology has an impact on industry in terms of the work done, how it is done, and how individuals live and do business. Globalization means that business--and the…

The Pennsylvania Action Research Network project was initiated in 1995-1996 to provide Pennsylvania literacy educators with the following: a better method for taking published research findings and testing and adapting them in their own classrooms; a way to study their own research ideas on a daily-action basis; and a systematic way to share and…

Teacher training is high on the priorities of the European Commission. One action has been to fund three Telematics projects that focus on telematics and teacher training within the Telematics Application Program. This paper is part of the work of the T3 (Telematics for Teacher Training) project which is coordinated from the University of Exeter.…

The 10 chapters in this book provide an overview of 5 years of work by member schools and colleges in the Urban Schools Network, which provides technical assistance to schools in 31 urban areas. "Overview of the Urban Schools Network" (Lola Jackson) is a history, defining purposes, participants, and priorities. "Integrating Academic…

Five reports present findings of research into professional development (PD) issues in vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. "Lessons Learnt: An Analysis of Findings of Recent Evaluation Reports on PD in VET" (Kate Perkins) provides an overview of issues, insights, and ideas emerging from past PD experience that may be…