A survey completed by 230 media professionals, teachers, and resource personnel working with the hearing impaired revealed an interest in supporting a new organization or subgroup to address professional development needs and identified 33 major issues requiring immediate attention. (CL)

Discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to needs assessment is followed by a description of the five phases of the flexible composite needs assessment approach, START (Systematic Technique for Assessing Resources and Training/Development) for developing training programs within various types of organizations. (EAO)

The effect of decreasing the difficulty of reading material on comprehension by 57 direct care trainees at a residential facility for mentally retarded persons was examined. Results confirmed that decreasing the reading difficulty of printed material increases trainees' comprehension levels. (Author/SB)

Unified Vocational Preparation (UVP), the British counterpart of the American approach, training within industry, is examined from an historical perspective. The benefits of UVP are examined, including the use of company facilities and personnel, impact on staff development, manager's role, and management education. (CT)

Provides guidelines for meeting legal standards of fairness in teacher evaluation. (WD)

Career development could become a fad unless current needs are met, goals are set, programs are properly designed, evaluated and revised, and mutual accommodation is accepted as its philosophical basis. (JOW)

Essential to any career planning program within an organization are the following elements: (1) goal setting; (2) career path time schedule; (3) transitions, or changes necessary to implementation of the plan; and (4) predicted and actual outcomes. (SK)

After an absence of nine years from the principalship, this author noticed an older faculty, increased paperwork, decreased authority of principals, a slower decision-making process, an increase in services for children, more girls' athletics, and an unchanged curriculum. (Author/LD)

Presents two strategies for improving the quality of child care through staff development: (1) identifying areas of staff expertise and cultivating mentoring relationships; and (2) developing collaborative community initiatives. Includes brief descriptions of these strategies in use in particular child care programs. Makes suggestions for…

Oklahoma Extension's "Valuing Differences" program for agents included cultural differences seminar, visits to diverse communities and debriefing sessions. Evaluation indicated greater awareness of diversity and identification of potential new audiences for extension and appropriate methods for programming. (SK)

Literature review and interviews with 22 experts examined how and why electronic learning is being used by organizations. Growth in synchronous communication, blended solutions, and improved access were found. Review of research evidence suggested that most people can learn effectively with technology, technology can reduce training costs with…

States that the lure of cost savings and other incentives are prompting more organizations to outsource their entire learning function. Suggests that this will provide different opportunities for trainers. Looks at incentives, services, and advantages of outsourcing training. (JOW)

The International Civil Aviation Organization has standards for airport certification that require education and training of personnel. The American Association of Airport Executives offers accreditation and certification in airport operations and safety that can meet the needs of world-class airports. (Contains 18 references.) (SK)

Describes the benefits for principals of online staff development for teachers. Sources of online courses and training include local and state departments of education, professional associations, colleges and universities, online universities, and commercial suppliers. (PKP)

Human resource management data were collected from 149 Irish, 201 Hong Kong, 92 Singaporean, and 144 Chinese organizations. Career patterns and training practices showed distinct differences. Irish organizations were more likely to have lower levels of career paths; their training practices suggested more new forms of careers. Fewer paths indicate…