This informally written, first-person account describes the self-education in multiculturalism of a community college English instructor, telling in detail how he broadened his knowledge and understanding in preparation for teaching a 16-week course on Meso-America. The instructor, a generalist by profession, began by working with a mentor to…

Evidence suggests that school focused staff development programs are more likely to bring about real school improvement because the individual school is the primary unit of change. These guidelines for the development and implementation of school-focused delivery of staff development programs were prepared for Georgia school systems. The term…

Testimony about the role of education and teachers with regard to an extended school day/year is presented in this paper, which argues that the school must deliver and attend to students' wide range of intellectual and social needs. Changing social conditions have created new and increased responsibilities for schools, in which administrators must…

Findings of the first phase of a longitudinal study that developed a descriptive profile of new principals in New York City are presented in this paper. A survey of 216 newly appointed principals in New York City elicited 158 responses, a 73 percent response rate. Findings indicate that despite the emphasis on aspects of transformational…

This paper presents findings of a study that evaluated the impact and institutionalization of Project READ/Inquiring School, a school-reform project for systemic change. The product of collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh and several school districts in western Pennsylvania, the project's goals are: (1) to help schools build literacy…

This document presents the findings of a study that examined whether the marital status of women in New Brunswick (Canada) influenced their ability to obtain administrative or managerial positions within nontraditional fields. The study cited research suggesting that women are still viewed as dependent, passive, and lacking in competitiveness,…

Findings of a study that explored the micropolitical elements inherent in interactions between either prospective or practicing supervisors and teachers in successful instructional conferences are presented in this paper. Micropolitics refers to the use of formal and informal power by individuals and groups to achieve their organizational goals.…

Outcomes of the School-Based Instructional Leadership (SBIL) program are described in this paper. The goal of the program is to empower school leadership teams (which include administrators, teachers, and representatives of stakeholder groups) for new roles and relationships as they implement a school-development process within their own contexts.…

The California Library Association has established a mentoring program to assist new or reentering librarians in establishing themselves in the profession. At the end of 3 years, the Mentor/Protege program had over 50 participating pairs of experienced and novice librarians. The program is described, and suggestions are given for implementing a…

Used to guide instructional design and professional development, this booklet highlights current thinking and practice in those areas of California's English-Language Arts Framework that need additional clarification or may have been implemented unevenly. Issues addressed in the booklet are: (1) the place of skills instruction, especially phonics,…

This guide provides recommendations and guidelines to expressive arts therapists and educators who work in school settings as therapists, supervisors, supervisees, or graduate school expressive arts interns. There are eight chapters: (1) Expressive Arts Therapies in School Settings (definitions, learning objectives, confidentiality, ethical…

This paper offers a definition for the word "effective" and then discusses implications of research on the environment in relation to designing effective instruction. Similarities and differences involved in designing effective instruction are presented across four different contexts: K-12, higher education, human services, and…

This is the first report from a 3-year evaluation of Part B of the Eisenhower Professional Development Program, the U.S. Department of Education's single largest investment dedicated to developing teachers' knowledge and skills. The report presents 10 emerging themes about the program resulting from exploratory case studies of 6 school districts…

This research sought to determine and describe the impact of standards-based reform as a policy instrument by studying the ways in which state adoption of content standards affects local policy, programs, and practice. In 1992, the state of Delaware embarked on a plan to improve its public schools. While the state worked at determining what…

This paper addresses four questions about Professional Development Schools (PDSs). Regarding question 1, "What do we know?", there are approximately 1,035 P-12 schools designated as PDSs in 47 states. Research indicates that the PDSs help bridge the gap between university- and school-based educators. They also help practicing teachers…