Because early childhood educators were minimally knowledgeable about and uninvolved in state legislative activities affecting their profession, an experienced child advocate developed a practicum to increase practitioners' knowledge and involvement. To attain practicum objectives, an advocacy handbook was developed and an advocacy project support…

By promoting insight-sharing among members, Harvard's Principals' Center works to develop, personally and professionally, those influencing the quality of schools. Growing numbers of principals outside Massachusetts, having attended the center as visiting practitioners, are founding centers in their own areas; the Harvard center itself is creating…

This paper describes the use and challenges of microcomputers in guidance and counseling. Following introductory remarks on the technological advancement of computers and their impact, currently available career guidance systems, testing systems (including psychological testing, interviewing, and test preparation), administrative systems, and…

This handbook, designed to assist Kentucky school district personnel in planning school psychological services, is organized into four major sections. In the initial section, Overview of School Psychology, information on training and credentialing of school professionals is presented. This section includes information on state requirements for…

One of the greatest frustrations of the curriculum developer in adult continuing professional education settings is the diverse entry levels of potential participants. One way of dealing with diversity of entry level, and at the same time relating instruction to individual needs, is through a system that bases curriculum on professional…

Adult learning theory and research on professional development provide a rich background context for examining school leader development for school improvement. The literature on adult learning theory identifies the following generalities about adults as learners: age reduces the speed of learning; adult learners bring life experiences to bear on…

The purpose of this report was to examine the progress of 60 local school districts toward attaining the goals of Missouri's Career Ladder Program. The goals were identified as teacher retention, teacher responsibility, professional growth, teacher sharing, teacher collaboration, and student enhancement. The assessment documents of 58 ladder…

A four-part discussion on cultural sensitivity and good listening skills in development professionals is presented. It is noted that there is much in their educational regimen which militates against developing these habits of mind. It is hypothesized that much of this problem resides in the hidden cultural meanings of professionalism in general…

In 10 chapters, this book offers a clear nonlinear vision for continuously preparing professional and classified staff for the purpose of improving schools and student academic achievement. Chapter 1 shows the importance of inservice education and provides a rationale for conducting systematic, if not empirically based, programs. Chapter 2 details…

This study was one of a series of field experiments designed to accomplish three purposes: (1) to validate research-based principles of classroom organization and management found in correlational research to be related to instructional and managerial effectiveness in elementary classrooms (grades 1-6); (2) to determine if school district…

The Danforth Foundation Program for the Preparation of School Principals now being implemented at four American universities embodies two major emphases: (1) collaboration between universities and school systems and (2) experiential learning approaches. One important program aspect is mentoring relationships between candidates and experienced…

In education, action research is research carried out by practitioners with a view to improving their professional practice and understanding it better. This paper concentrates particularly upon classroom action research by inservice teachers, although the approach can also be embodied in preservice training courses and can embrace a very wide…

Information about the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), an independent federal agency created in 1965 to support scholarship, research, education, and public programs in the humanities, is provided in this booklet. The first part of the booklet provides information on the history, purposes, policies, and organization of NEH, and serves…

In October 1978 a survey was conducted of Friends of the Library (FOL) activities during the preceding 6 years in support of public, branch, academic, public school, media center, institution, and special libraries in Ohio. The purpose of the survey was to identify and provide a comprehensive summary listing of the recent activities of Friends…

Research has shown that an active mentor can facilitate the career development of the neophyte. The hypothesis was tested that the failure of women to sponsor others, i.e., to assume a mentor role, is the logical outcome of situational pressures exerted on all persons who fill, and succeed in, a token role, rather than merely how women act when…