This briefing paper addresses two questions: What are current trends in higher level distance education? and What recommendations for action have emerged from recent distance education meetings and from the literature? To identify trends, five broad areas of evolution within the field of distance education were identified: institutions;…

In Arkansas, in reaction to complaints about traditional methods of selection for promotion, the civil service commission has chosen to base promotions in the police department solely on scores on locally-developed objective tests. Items developed and loaded into a computerized test bank were selected from six areas of responsibility: (1) criminal…

This paper discusses the New Teacher Retention Project, a collaborative partnership between San Diego State University and the San Diego Unified School District, California. The purposes of this project are to develop a practical model of support and assistance to new teachers, particularly those working with students from culturally diverse…

New information technologies have begun to help librarians transfer their routine procedures and tasks to nonprofessional staff and library users, which allows them to begin to be relieved from the boredom of glorified clerical work. Developments in information technology also allow librarians to see their work from new and different perspectives.…

This study explores the development of a beginning teacher's practical knowledge as expressed in her reflections on her actions during her first year of teaching. The view of practical knowledge constructed by Elbaz (1983) and extended by Clandinin (1986) forms the conceptual basis of the work, allied with the concept of reflection-in-action…

This kit and flyer produced by the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center of the Association of Research Libraries provides documents submitted by 14 universities that are used in the performance evaluation of professional library staff. Commentary based on a thorough review of documents submitted by 60 libraries includes an overview of the…

The problem beginning secondary school teachers face in bridging the knowledge gap between the subject discipline studied in college and the content that must be taught to high school students is analyzed in this study. To demonstrate this problem and follow the progressive steps taken to partially solve it, case studies are presented of two…

Many student personnel professionals find that declining enrollments are affecting the supply and demand for their services. To assess current career needs and programs and to determine whether student personnel staff perceived a need for personal career enrichment, student personnel workers (N=183) in three state universities were surveyed.…

Computer technology can assist school psychologists in assessment, data management, and consultation, but there is little centralized information available about the most appropriate ways to use the computer. There is even debate about the amount of interest school psychologists have in acquiring computer skills. A nationwide survey of school…

According to the author of this report, enthusiasm for inservice programs has been lacking, partly due to disagreement over program control and partly due to a perceived lack of relevance in the programs. This overview of a number of research and development projects suggests that the programs' relevance is the more important of these factors and…

Technical Assistance for Mainstreaming Exceptional Children (Project TAMEC) assists regular education personnel in working with the mildly handicapped children in their schools. An extension of this North Carolina-based project is an onsite administrator inservice program--the Three Phase Program for School Administrators. Organizational…

The professional development process can be organized as a continuous, multifaceted, proactive, and integrated system that is futures-oriented and focused on adaptation as an essential organizational function. A systems model employing a university professional school as an example is presented. It focuses on professional schools because they lend…

The state-of-the art review suggests that human services agencies in rural areas can provide adequate staff training through the use of high technology training systems. Training equipment discussed includes: videotapes, microcomputers for computer-assisted instruction (CAI) or computer-managed instruction (CMI), solenoid-operated videocassette…

This manual contains descriptions of the Leadership Training Model and of workshops for the professional development of "instructional support" teachers who have leadership roles in developing inservice programs for school staff. The Leadership Training Model was developed by the Edgewood Independent School District/Trinity University (Texas)…

This manual provides a series of forms and instruments and outlines the procedures used by St. Louis Community College in its annual evaluation of instructional faculty performance. First, general information is provided in lists of the performance indicators and other criteria upon which the assessments of teachers, counselors, and instructional…