"Developing and Assessing an Online Research Writing Course" discusses how the Writing Program at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) created a hybrid, online research writing course, Writing 50, and assessed that course. The assessment, which is at the center of this piece, was dovetailed with assessment literature in…

The most frequent form of professional development for teachers--occasional workshops conducted by outside consultants--is widely regarded as ineffective. This document presents findings of a study, conducted by the Indiana Education Policy Center School of Education Office, to examine professional development and its connection to teacher time.…

This study was done to determine how much faculty in the Minnesota State University System spend out of their own pocket to support their work. A survey was distributed to all system faculty (n=2,370) and included demographic and spending pattern items as well as open-ended items. Seven hundred and eleven surveys were returned. Results indicated…

This report discusses increasing demands on teachers' time, particularly with more students with disabilities in regular education classes, and describes how teachers can use strategies, routines, and support systems to empower students to become more independent and more responsible for their own learning and study. The five underlying principles…

Surveys that ask faculty to estimate how much time they spend on teaching, research, and service do not allow for activities which fulfill more than one purpose, fail to capture the patterns of actions that faculty perform to fulfill each purpose; and do not show how different features of organizational and disciplinary contexts affect the types…

This digest examines problems inherent in the traditional school scheduling pattern. It offers block scheduling as an option and describes variations in block schedules. It then looks at the benefits and challenges of block scheduling and concludes with a few suggestions for making the transition. Proponents argue that block scheduling allows for…

In response to increasing assessment and accountability requirements, Mt. Hood Community College, in Oregon, developed an assessment matrix specifying major accountability requirements and established a calendar to help departments understand the necessary sequences for fulfilling these requirements. The matrix lists the various measures or…

The two modules in this packet provide information on planning for workplace success. The first module, "Planning MAS-107," contains seven units that cover introduction to planning, developing plans, setting goals, budgeting resources, scheduling, monitoring implementation, and how to make planning work. The module also includes a list of 18…

One critical means of reaching the goal to improve student learning is to restructure school time for professional development. This publication examines issues in promoting professional development for all staff during regular school time. The overview describes alternative strategies for effectively finding and using time to support…

Supporting efforts that promote the lifetime habit of reading professional literature should be a priority of administrators and teachers. Initiating teacher-led workshops, encouraging opportunities for collaboration, and providing time for working together are a few positive steps that complement conventional approaches to professional…

This exploratory study investigated which characteristics of a principal are identified as effective by teachers in the same school setting. The data were obtained from the Schools and Staffing Study of 1988, from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The Teacher Questionnaire of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) questioned…

A survey was conducted of the parents of 1992 and 1993 baccalaureate graduates who were enrolled for more than eight regular academic year semesters before earning their degrees. Approximately 350 students were included as graduates from a major, public research university in the Southeast. Parents were selected as the research subjects because…

This paper describes the contextual dimensions of eight school sites that ameliorate or restrain relationships between mentor and novice teachers. Interview data from 23 mentors, 16 novice teachers, and 8 principals suggest 5 contextual themes that ameliorate or restrain an effective induction for novice teachers: (1) early experiences; (2)…

Eighty-one student teachers in four classes were randomly assigned to one of three groups to test the effectiveness of brief training in time management techniques. The first group, a control, received no training. Experimental Group 1 received basic training in time management by reading a book and attending a presentation on the subject while…

This report presents results of classroom observations of kindergarten and first grade teachers. Nine full days of observations were completed with each of the teachers for 2 consecutive school years. Results are presented in terms of kindergarten teachers' time allocated to reading and to all instruction as well as their frequency of…