A 2-part survey of 24 mentally retarded individuals from supported and competitive employment programs across New South Wales, Australia, found that parents and families play a significant role as advocates/benefactors in subjects' lives and that such support was correlated to lower support needs and better work performance at the job site.…

Prior to implementation of a Merit Award Program for school district administrators, survey responses (102 of 122) and interviews with a sample of 15 administrators found low expectations and skepticism among potential awardees. Postprogram responses (96 of 122) found increased negative attitudes regarding the desirability of such an award and the…

Total Quality Management is not a fad. Human resource development must be aligned with the culture of continuous improvement to make it work. Changes may be necessary in hiring, promotion, and performance appraisal. (SK)

Professions take different approaches to competency-based continuing education: (1) pharmacy and nursing analyze competence in terms of roles and tasks (performance); (2) law analyzes professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes (attributes); and (3) medicine analyzes attributes in the context of performance of professional tasks, an integrated…

Ninety-five subjects observing videotaped secretaries performing well or poorly were told either to evaluate or monitor job performance. Ratings were influenced by the rater's objective. Regardless of objective, results showed a high level of covariance among the independent traits of the secretaries. (SK)

A research and development approach to performance monitoring in public agencies involves establishing objectives, selecting indicators, establishing criteria for comparison, and using information. Examples from Virginia education agencies indicate that performance monitoring requires commitment, patience, openness to ideas, and risk taking. (SK)

Discusses the role of meetings in improving job performance, identifies adult learning principles that may enhance the planning and delivery of business meetings, describes the component parts of business meetings, and presents a matrix that integrates adult learning principles with the management of business meetings. (Six references) (LRW)

Reviews management-competence and school-effectiveness research, explores similarities, and discusses each area's contribution to education management. A major problem for both approaches is finding a balance between general descriptions of good practice and the particular needs of specific schools at particular development stages. General…

In Sweden principals are faced with societal demands requiring school systems to move from rule-oriented management to goal-oriented management. Principals can no longer rely on authority derived from position but must instead cultivate a credibility based on competence. Goal-oriented leadership is practiced on three levels: the political (the…

Discusses performance-related pay (PRP) for teachers in Britain, defining the concept and outlining precedents in public-sector services. Critically examines major performance measures recommended by the School Teachers' Pay Review Board and documents broad political support for PRP, despite considerable implementation obstacles. (64 references)…

Competence models have evolved into a link between organizational strategy and organizational and individual performance. Training professionals use them to synthesize individual capabilities and organizational core competencies. Educators and policymakers use them to link workplace requirements to educational programs and curricula. (SK)

Schools should stop defending their turf and acknowledge they must earn the right to provide education. Educators should develop high expectations of students, value data gathering, provide parental/community feedback opportunities, and craft strong local achievement indicators. The result will be improved teacher satisfaction and taxpayer…

A needs assessment project designed to identify the performance improvement training needs of Louisiana state government employees (n=2,000) focused on strategic goals and employee perceptions. The difficulties of large-scale needs assessment were highlighted and implications for research were identified. (Contains 31 references.) (JOW)

Provides an overview of the process utilized by the University of Kentucky Community College System to report faculty workload and contact hour data from fall 1993 to fall 1995. Indicates that faculty work about 48 hours a week and spend 75% of their time teaching and advising students, which is consistent with national trends. (JDI)

Proposes definitions for on- and off-the-job assessment. Presents a model for education and assessment in the workplace that includes (1) development of knowledge, skills, and abilities; (2) performance in simulated or practice situations; and (3) competence in occupational practice. Considers when to choose on- or off-the-job assessment. (SK)