As an example of successful training in teacher coaching, this article describes a program conducted by the Santa Clara County, California, Educational Development Center. Aspects of the program discussed are its design, the selection of participants, the training process, the program's results, and the program's future. (MCG)

Describes Research In Teacher Education (RITE), a staff development model that uses school district staff to train teachers and that identifies effective teaching and staff development practices. Information is presented on the model's characteristics and implementation, research contributing to the model, a field test, and San Diego's adoption of…

Older volunteers are helping urban students in developing the confidence and skills to succeed. Older adults, with their life experience and strong commitment to social service, can make a special contribution in underfunded and understaffed urban schools.

Intensive analysis of the policies and practices of two high-achieving schools confirms that a coordinated school-wide emphasis on reading pays off. Four references are provided. (Author/DCS)

A solid blend of theory and practice, an effective training system, and continuing support for new teachers are essential elements of teacher preparation, whether it is provided by a university, a district, or a partnership of the two. (Author/TE)

Discusses the use of coaching to establish a communal learning effort among teachers and reinforce skills introduced through inservice. Issues examined include the length of coaching, who should coach, training coaches, coaching's effects, the relationships of evaluation and supervision to coaching, the principal's role, and implementation. (MCG)

Evaluation of the school-based, collaborative inservice program implemented by 10 elementary schools in Jefferson County, Kentucky, indicates that ideal conditions are not essential to school improvement. Based on the effective schools research model, the project also provided evidence that local schools will adopt successful programs after pilot…

Reviews the research on the effectiveness of five thinking skills training programs: Instrumental Enrichment, Philosophy for Children, Structure-of-Intellect (SOI), Problem Solving and Comprehension: A Short Course in Analytical Reasoning, and Odyssey. Compares and contrasts the content of each program and describes the relative lack of adequate…

Master teachers working in real urban classrooms have shared their exemplary teaching practices in an After-School Pedagogical Laboratory (L-TAPL), a program for elementary students that aims to improve the achievement of urban students and the competence of their teachers. The L-TAPL enrichment program curriculum includes language arts, math,…

School systems can promote computer literacy among teachers by starting at the administrative level, making inservice comprehensive and long-term, providing concrete support, and offering opportunities for participation. (Author)

The state of Connecticut has introduced a fourth-grade mastery test that assesses thinking skills. The test was developed cooperatively by the state's Department of Education, a testing corporation, and several cognitive psychologists; several alternative models of thinking were synthesized to produce a theoretical foundation for the test. (MCG)

Kindergarten students in the Portland, Oregon, Writing to Read program are learning to use typewriters and computers to write creatively even before they begin using conventional spelling based on the assumption that children are curious about language. A 13-item reference list is provided. (Author/DCS)

"Educating School Leaders", an evaluation report on current education administration programs in the US, highlights the inadequate training such programs offer potential school administrators. Problems range from offering irrelevant curriculum to conferring inappropriate degrees and the report offers a nine-point template that would be useful for…

The decision by a Reagan administration appointee to terminate funding of 13 validated projects illustrates the influence of politics on policy. (Author)

Elaborates on the article "Synthesis of Research on the Effectiveness of Intellectual Skills Programs: Snake-Oil Remedies or Miracle Cures?" by Sternberg and Bhana. Encourages the development of a theory that could provide a guide to the infusion of thinking instruction into any area of inquiry. (IW)