The historical needs for teacher competence in assessment are being increased as educational reform efforts bring new types of assessment into use. A statewide proportional random sample of 1,220 Maryland high school teachers was surveyed to determine the amount of training they had received in classroom assessment and the sources of that…

A random sample of educators (a total of 2,238 responses from teachers of the gifted, classroom teachers, and gifted education program coordinators) were surveyed regarding their views on major research needs in gifted education. The study evaluated these views as well as differences between groups of educators, and differences among respondents…

This regional workshop on teacher education at a distance met to review existing distance education modalities and identify common problems and issues; cooperatively develop innovative strategies and guidelines for meeting the needs of girls, disadvantaged groups, and those in remote areas; review existing networks in distance education for…

This practicum was designed to facilitate the professional growth and personal well-being of beginning teachers during the induction year. The program provided novice teachers with opportunities for regular contact with an experienced teacher, encouraged demonstration of positive self-perceptions as professionals, and assisted in the development…

The essential theories underlying the whole language approach require individual teachers to examine their assumptions about teaching and learning and to undergo a major paradigmatic shift that requires a new set of assumptions. One of the principal tenets of whole language is that the classroom teacher becomes an autonomous professional. This…

The report describes briefly two foundation-funded inservice training institutes for middle school teachers in Los Angeles (California) who have limited-English-speaking students in their classes. The first was designed to: (1) introduce teachers to the communicative approach to math and science instruction; (2) help develop instructional…

This report describes a program for formulating and implementing a staff development plan for technology within the Lake Forest School District (Delaware). The study focused on increasing teacher use of technology, primarily computers, through increased staff development. Attitudinal changes toward the use of technology were also investigated. Two…

A project geared to adult educators in rural central Pennsylvania addressed the topics of recruitment and retention of students in adult education programs in order to help the educators find solutions to these problems. Seminars conducted twice during 1993 covered the following topics: methods of recruitment, overcoming text anxiety, curbing the…

The report details a 12-day workshop for 40 teachers of English as a foreign language (TEFL) held in China. It begins with an overview of the status of instruction in English as a second language (ESL) in that country, highlighting both progress and the difficulty of keeping up with demand for ESL teachers. Areas of difficulty in ESL instruction,…

From September 1989 to August 1992, 151 intern-teachers participated in an alternative credential program to recruit, train, and support special education teachers in rural northeast California. Directed by California State University, Chico, in collaboration with school districts in its service area, the 2-year program was designed to alleviate…

Doing Chemistry is a practical resource for high school chemistry teachers that ties the specifics of classroom chemistry content to teaching practice. This final evaluation focused on the evaluation of workshops for teachers. An 81% return on a survey of the 206 lead teachers who participated in the National Science Foundation-funded Doing…

This paper describes the design and implementation of a staff-development program at Vivian Field Junior High School in Carrollton, Texas. The school is a member of the Texas Partnership School Initiative, which was created to give schools latitude in raising student achievement. The goal of the staff-development program was to identify gains in…

The Outreach and Technical Assistance Network (OTAN) has made a significant contribution to meeting the needs of California adult educators. During 4 years of operation, OTAN has organized and implemented a wide range of communication linkages, information and training resources, nationally recognized electronic communication systems,…

The Pennsylvania Department of Education mandated that all school districts in the state include K-12 instruction about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and related issues beginning in September 1987. This paper describes one school district's comprehensive AIDS education program. A survey administered in the fall of 1991 produced…

This paper explores some of the issues involved in assessing national-curriculum standards at the local level. Some of the things that might foster the use of high-quality assessments include: (1) feasible and assessable state content standards; (2) a clear purpose for each assessment; (3) an emphasis on valid, fair, and reliable classroom…