For the past 8 years, Minnesota technical colleges have been offering customized training services to the state's employers. To gather data on what kinds of organizations use custom training (CT) programs, the State Board of Technical Colleges surveyed 600 public and private employers that had used CT services through at least one of the system's…

This paper considers leadership within colleges and universities toward creation of a continuum of professional development. Changes in the headship of schools/colleges/departments of education (SCDE) among member institutions of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education were studied, revealing that the mean "time in…

This paper examines the multiple challenges that emerged during the development of professional community in a middle school that attempted to decentralize decision making. Kruse and Louis' (1993) framework of the dimensions of professional community is used to analyze qualitative data collected at Whitehead Magnet School (located in a large…

The Professional Development Laboratory (P.D.L.) is a collaborative teacher development program in New York City which promotes collegiality and provides an environment in which new and experienced teachers can update skills, learn and practice new skills, and share classroom techniques with one another. Participants spent 3 to 4 weeks in the…

Project CREST (Collaboration for Rural Education Special Teachers) is an Ohio teacher training program that addresses the teaching requirements of rural schools, permits student teaching experiences in rural school settings, and assists rural schools in developing staff development programs. The primary components of Project CREST are: (1) a…

Noting that students' failure to master the basic skills by third grade places them at high academic and social risk, this report provides a synthesis of the findings from a meeting that drew 30 of the nation's leading experts on early childhood education and school reform to discuss the plight of primary education. The meeting was designed to…

In August 1993, a survey was conducted of staff development coordinators (SDC's) at California community colleges to gather data on their positions and characteristics. An analysis was made of the usable surveys returned by 54 colleges and, where appropriate, results were compared with findings from 1990, 1991, and 1992 surveys of SDC's. Study…

The 1992 Washington State Legislature gave the State Board of Education (SBE), in conjunction with the Governor's Council on Education Reform and Funding (GCERF), responsibility for completing a review of certification policies to develop an outcome-based certification system for teachers. To accomplish this task, the SBE/GCERF Professional…

This report summarizes results of the evaluation of Head Start's Leadership Training Program. The introductory chapter provides background information on the program, including a rationale for leadership training, goals and objectives of the program, and ways in which participants were selected. Chapter II provides an overview of the training…

This paper examines the process by which an immediate access-to-technology environment influences the frequency, form, and substance of collegial interaction among classroom teachers. The longitudinal study, part of the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow project, covers a 5-year period and utilizes data from 32 elementary and secondary teachers in five…

This report describes the development of a distance education, professional development program for teacher education which promotes two-way communication between tutor and student through use of the telephone, electronic mail, and facsimile transmission (FAX). It is reported that in 1986, McGill University in Montreal began by offering education…

This paper introduces the Pause Model, an innovative means of integrating self-directed learning and continuing professional education. Since the method was developed for professionals such as counselors, educators, and managers who practice in social settings, the paper begins with an explanation of a few of the unique attributes of professional…

The reports presented in this document describe the results of the first 2 years of the Midlands Consortium Star Schools Project (MCSSP) (October 1, 1988-December 31, 1990). The first report summarizes the major accomplishments of the MCSSP, including: (1) the installation of communications satellites at schools in Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi,…

Concerned school leaders can make a real difference in the education of educators. Six tasks which school leaders can undertake to aid in restructuring teacher education are identified and discussed. School leaders can: (1) make preservice and continuing education true priorities; (2) cooperate in establishing professional development centers; (3)…

Changing the conditions under which teachers are prepared is a necessary condition for changing schools. This policy guide emphasizes the role of the state in providing an environment for change. The guide particularly discusses the state's use of incentives and sanctions to raise the visibility and urgency of teacher education reform to the…