The mentoring relationship is examined in terms of the stages in the process and the benefits to mentor, protege, and the organization. A four-step procedure to effectively foster mentoring in schools is presented. (MT)

IMPACT II programs encourage teachers to form networks to exchange their ideas with one another and with other teachers in the system. Teachers attend workshops, visit each other's classrooms, swap ideas, and generally keep in touch by newsletters and conventions. (SI)

Career ladder and other incentive programs are resisted when teachers and administrators involved in the programs are removed from the initial decision making process. The ideal scenario is described. Implications for teacher educators are discussed. (Author/MT)

The Education Improvement Act of 1984 provided for the establishment of a teacher incentive program to reward teachers who demonstrate superior performance and productivity. Three incentive program models were developed by school districts in South Carolina and approved program models were pilot-tested. Each school district in South Carolina…

The goal of the "Best Practices Initiative: Characteristics of Programs of Information Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices," undertaken by the Association of College and Research Libraries' Institute for Information Literacy is to systematically identify and test the key elements essential for a successful institutionally supported…

In Florida, State Department of Education emphasis on "Teachers as Advisor Programs" across the state has created a demand for the training sequence described in this paper. Current reasons for promoting the program are listed and a brief training course description is provided. The skills involved are intended to be sequential. The course is…

Described is the Merrill Area (Wisconsin) Public School district's plan to develop and provide the necessary program and classes to meet the needs of behaviorally and emotionally disturbed students. Brief sections cover the following topics: program philosophy (provision of adequate education to each child); definition of the emotionally or…

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)

PAPA: Plans, Action and Progress Assessment, a process whereby the professional educator can effectively organize professional growth and development efforts, is presented. The process can also aid teachers, counselors, professors, or administrators in improving job performance. The three parts of the program are described. (CT)

An overview is provided of the University of Alaska's Rural Education Division, which was created in 1975 in the wake of the discovery of oil on the North Slope, the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and the recognition of the need for more access to higher education by native and other rural residents. Introductory material…

The University of Montana (Missoula) has developed its first electronically delivered graduate degree program. Participating in the collaborative effort are the School of Education, the Center for Continuing Education and Summer Programs, and the Higher Education Center at the Helena College of Technology of the University of Montana. The first…

Professional development for teachers is often described as a journey. This paper, using the findings from a small-scale study interrogating professional development in ICT, offers the alternate metaphor of an interwoven Celtic knot to explain this phenomenon. It will show how the four key elements identified as being critical to creating the most…

Discusses mentoring as a professional development strategy to meet the needs of experienced and novice practitioners. Defines mentoring and differentiates it from supervision. Discusses the following aspects of early childhood mentoring programs: (1) goals and assumptions; (2) design and structure, including mentor qualifications and training; (3)…

The Cooperative Urban Teacher Education (CUTE) Program is an imaginative venture for preparing effective teachers for inner-city schools. Basic to the development of CUTE is the premise that a teacher acts according to how he/she perceives a given situation, and that these perceptions depend upon his/her earlier experiences. If accepted, this…