In the fall of 1991, the Western Regional Center for Drug-Free Schools and communities published "Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention: An Overview for Educators." This model course outline was designed to assist institutes of higher education in offering preservice and continuing education courses for teachers and other educational…

This paper describes initial implementation of a new role in staff development--the Instructional Coach (IC). The IC acts as a resource at the school level to assist the principal and faculty to improve instructional practices. In a pilot project, one teacher from each of four schools within the Department of Defense Dependents Schools system…

This paper describes the long-term effects of a staff-development program, "Dealing with Multi-Grade Classes," based on selected findings from teaching-effectiveness research in schools with multi-grade or mixed-age classes. The short-term effects were examined in two studies conducted in 1986-87 and 1989-90. In 1992 a follow-up study…

This report describes a process for improving the transition of special needs students from their special education setting to that of the regular education classroom in their neighborhood elementary schools. Analysis suggested that parents, administrators, and receiving teachers were apprehensive about the move to total inclusion for special…

Working effectively within a multicultural society requires that counselors and educators become multicultural in context. This study was designed to determine whether a three-part cultural training diversity program would enable participants to become multicultural in context through structured learning experiences. Participants were 44 white…

This report provides an overview of bilingual education in the Basque area of Spain over the last 10 years. Since 1982, a government decree established that public education was to be conducted following 1 of 3 models of bilingual education: 1) instruction is basically in Spanish, with Basque taught as a separate course; 2) content instruction is…

Professional development is a crucial component in nearly every modern proposal for educational improvement. This book contains a collection of essays by individuals well known for their work in the professional development of educators. Each essay is a systematic effort to illustrate the conceptual grounds from which each professional-development…

This report describes the implementation and operation of a 6-month peer coaching program, "Collegial Coaching: Transfer of Learning through Reflective Practice," at Estacado High School in Lubbock (Texas). The program was originally designed to assist teachers to improve their own management and instruction in the classroom. However, it…

Local responsibility for school development in Sweden has led to new possibilities for teacher improvement. This paper looks at using the potential of action research generated by the decentralization for the inservice training of teachers. Decentralization offered opportunities for inservice development work through special funding for projects,…

This paper reports on a study of teacher development practices in Turkey, exploring teachers' perceptions of professional development opportunities in the Turkish elementary school, and the extent to which elementary school teachers believe that these opportunities have helped them improve their instructional practices. Of the 500 teachers from 52…

Sixteen regional forums were held in Minnesota in the fall of 1995 to determine what form the Education and Employment Transition System, or School-to-Work System, mandated by state legislation, would take and which elements it should contain. Forum participants represented business, labor, education, parents, teachers, counselors, and other…

The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) nurtures building of community by bridging science and technology with traditional Native values. AISES educational programs provide opportunities for American Indians and Alaska Natives to pursue studies in science, engineering, and other academic arenas. The trained professionals become…

This paper outlines characteristics of the digital information infrastructure at the College of Staten Island--City University of New York. It describes the college's vision for supporting faculty use of technology; the successful use of faculty peer-to-peer mentoring for expanding the pedagogic use of word processing, e-mail, listservs, home…

The Inland Empire (California) Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Project (IE-BTSA) is intended to develop and implement assessment strategies designed for beginning teachers. The IE-BTSA program includes three major assessments used throughout the beginning teachers' induction year: a classroom observation, a learning journal, and a teacher…

This guide is intended to accompany a staff development videotape which attempts to: (1) heighten awareness regarding attitudes, values and misconceptions about chemical dependency; (2) provide information about the impact of alcohol and other drugs on young special needs children; and (3) demonstrate skills and strategies for working with special…