For several years, the University of Massachusetts has been developing a series of introductory-level mathematics courses which place primary emphasis on the development of problem solving and conceptual skills. As the need arose for more instructors for this course, an instructor-training program was developed. This report describes the…

The Austin (TX) Independent School District presents its second report to the Texas Education Agency concerning the Summer School Pilot 1983. It contains a final report summary, a teacher checklist, and an observation followup. The report summary includes the following major findings: (1) retainees who attended summer school and those who did not…

This report assesses the effectiveness of the Napa County (California) Instructional Skills Staff Development Program, focusing on its impact on student achievement and student engaged rate in classrooms. The program, providing training for teachers and principals in administrative and instructional skills, is examined for outcomes in two schools,…

This report highlights major issues, techniques, and directions in the evaluation of public school teachers. The paper begins by setting a perspective on the process of, and needs for, evaluation. The main body of the report is devoted to a summary and critique of various teacher evaluation methods. A discussion is given of the efficacy of, and…

This study examines the effects of task arrangements and management systems on student engagement rates. It is argued that the complexity of classroom arrangements influences the form and content of management systems, and that management decisions impact levels of student engagement. Intensive observation of 63 third and fourth grade students…

The teacher's role in documenting behavioral programs on individual education plan objectives for behaviorally disordered (BD) students is discussed, and assessment instruments are presented and reviewed. Student behavioral monitoring is examined using pre/post testing with standardized instruments, product measures that indicate progress or…

The 3-year project developed self-instructional programs and evaluated parent use of these programs (approximately 185 families) to improve behavior problems of their handicapped children, aged 3 to 9. The project's format included five goals (e.g., determination of the degree to which parents can treat behavioral problems without professional…

To support and substantiate the assertion that the relationship between teacher and students matters a great deal when written literacy is at stake, a case study was made of a teacher in one high school creative writing class during one semester. The intent was to learn more about the socially negotiated nature of school writing and to identify…

An overview is presented of a 3-year project focused on the development and demonstration of an interactive teaching improvement model that was research-based and used electronic technology. Though the primary goal was to improve the preparation of preservice teachers in elementary and secondary education, it was hoped the materials could be used…

An investigation is presented of a regular classroom teacher's socio-psycho-linguistic experiences with the non-English speaking children in her classroom. Audiotaped interviews were conducted with Mrs. Walters (pseudonym), a first grade teacher with a large number of foreign students in her classroom. In addition to interviewing the teacher, the…

This practicum was designed to enable teachers in an elementary school to gain the skills required to utilize technological equipment and materials in their classrooms. The primary objective was that teachers would become proficient in the use of technology in their teaching. A second goal was that teachers would use technology to vitalize…

This study examined the creative uses of computers in elementary schools and their impact on student's confidence and self-esteem, student-student interaction, student-teacher interaction, male and female students, classroom management, the role of the teacher, special education, teacher training, teachers not involved in the study, and curricular…

Students enrolled in classes which stressed learning theory and human development served as subjects in an investigation of the predictive power of observation scores compared to more traditional predictors such as grade point average and ACT scores. A stepwise discriminant analysis was employed, using the BMDP7B program on the Sperry 1100 Univac,…

A longitudinal study which focused attention on communication behavior of Native American students and interrelated data from overcultural norms, teacher observations, and student reflections was begun during fall semester of 1977 and continued through 1978-79 academic year at the University of Oklahoma. All subjects were Native American students…

The relationship between teacher clarity (as reflected by both low-inference and high-inference measures and the student outcome measures of achievement and satisfaction were examined. Data on 32 preservice teachers, each of whom taught the same lesson to a small group of their peers, were provided by trained observers using the Teacher Clarity…