A teacher communication skills training program to improve instruction, Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement (TESA), is described in this report, with a focus on the effect of improved instructional communication competence on academic achievement. In particular, the advocates of TESA hope that communication skills training will have a…

A training workshop for Southern Extension faculty and staff addressed aspects of water quality and related issues. Conference papers discussed: (1) basic information on hydrology--the science of water transport through the natural environment; (2) sources and impacts of water pollution; (3) the role of public policy in water quality protection;…

A teacher of gifted children implemented a 10-week practicum intervention designed to improve regular classroom teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and skills concerning the education of gifted elementary school students. The intervention was designed to enable participants to identify characteristics and needs of gifted children, develop positive…

This paper considers the role that teacher educators accord to subject matter knowledge in helping teachers to change their practice. Two inservice programs that aim to effect radical change in teachers' practices are examined, one focusing on the teaching of mathematics and the other on the teaching of writing. Drawing on data from interviews and…

This guidebook outlines a process for producing a parent educational conference designed to increase parental involvement in children's education. It is based on the experiences of the planners of the Parents as Partners for Excellence in Education conferences that have been conducted by the Orange County, California, Human Relations Commission. A…

This module is the third in an inservice education series for extension professionals that consists of seven independent training modules. It covers how to acquire and exercise leadership skills and how to identify, recruit, develop, and work with community leaders. The three units in this 12-hour workshop are identifying and working with leaders,…

This module is the fourth in an inservice education series for extension professionals that consists of seven independent training modules. It focuses on how to determine the need for the extension educator's involvement in issues and how to understand the economic, social, political, and environmental contexts in planning, designing, and…

This module is the fifth in an inservice education series for extension professionals that consists of seven independent training modules. Its purpose is to provide the conceptual foundation and practical skills needed to work effectively with groups and organizations. Five units cover networking, communicating one-to-one, moving up and down and…

This document reports on a project of the Illinois Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities to assess needs of current transition practices in Illinois for preschool children with special needs. The project involved: analysis of a comprehensive review of the relevant research literature; recommendations from advisory board members, workshop…

Cultural orientation, teaching about a new culture and the skills needed to operate within it, is a critical component of refugee services programs. This handbook was developed at a 2-day workshop sponsored by the Northwest Educational Cooperative (NEC) and is designed to help improve the competencies of teacher trainers and bilingual staff…

The process of the implementation and institutionalization of change is examined in this training module for school leaders. Based on a combination of theory and practice, five activities are conducted at two levels: an awareness level to introduce concepts; and an action level for more experienced participants. Activity modules include indicators…

A kindergarten teacher implemented and evaluated a practicum intervention designed to develop positive attitudes among 122 parents concerning their children's learning through play in developmental kindergarten and pre-first grade programs. Teachers reported that parents did not appreciate the benefits of learning through play, and preferred…

The goal of this practicum was to involve parents in their children's mathematics learning. To accomplish this aim, efforts were made to improve children's performance and attitudes toward mathematics; to enable teachers to recognize the value of activities and games as an alternate to learning by rote; and to offer opportunities for parents to…

Mount Saint Vincent University (Nova Scotia), in cooperation with the Atlantic Satellite Network, has been involved in offering credit courses using videoteleconferencing since 1983. Distance University Education via Television (DUET) is a unique use of videoteleconferencing which complements the need for current information and for the…

The Baylor Principals' Center in Waco, Texas, offers programs in the Texas cities of Waco, Corsicana, and Killeen. Advanced instructional leadership training workshops consist of 12 hours of training. Incorporated into the meetings of the instructional leadership sessions are collegial circles made up of from six to eight people assigned in a…