Professional development is vital to the success of afterschool programs. Effective professional development enhances afterschool program quality by facilitating staff performance and knowledge; in addition, professional development is vital for improving student learning outcomes (Bouffard & Little, 2004; Hall & Surr, 2005; Joyce &…

This book explores the perspectives of experienced practitioners, sharing ideas about building and sustaining organizational strength through workforce development practices and systems. As the saying goes, a company's greatest resource is its people. When managers really believe that and work to develop organizational capabilities, productivity,…

This article is based on the premise that face-to-face training can be augmented with cloud-based technology tools, to potentially extend viable training supports as higher education staff and faculty implement new content/skills in their jobs and classrooms. There are significant benefits to harnessing cloud-based tools that can facilitate both…

What is Response to Intervention (RTI) and how can it benefit your school? Find out in "RTI Success", an all-in-one resource that provides information on this innovative model as well as step-by-step administrator guidelines and practical teacher tools for implementation. Despite ongoing federal initiatives meant to increase the profile…

Check & Connect was created in a five year period from 1990 to 1995. The original manual, entitled "Keeping Kids in School: Using Check & Connect for Dropout Prevention" and written by David Evelo, Mary Sinclair, Christine Hurley, Sandra Christenson, and Martha Thurlow, was published in 1996 (ED398701). This newly revised Check…

Discussion of organizational change and performance improvement programs focuses on 10 guidelines for developing successful implementation plans. Highlights include defining a vision and mission; cultural considerations; forming a team; contingency plans; communication; employee education; monitoring mechanisms; and rewarding and recognizing…

The 12 fact sheets in this series address fundamental aspects of starting a school-age child care program. Topics addressed include: (1) the planning process; (2) needs assessment; (3) establishment of cooperative relationships with schools; (4) selection of school space for programs; (5) arrangement of the environment; (6) program design; (7)…

As Mississippi's experience shows, there are five necessary stages for staff development: preplanning (forming a committee), planning, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance. This article examines each phase, provides checklists, and highlights the principal's responsibility during each phase. (eight references) (MLH)

In today's high-pressure atmosphere to "get the scores up," teachers and students find themselves faced with more and more highly-structured, prescripted lessons that allow for little creativity and exploration. However, both students and teachers deserve a balanced education that includes exciting opportunities to delve into areas of strong…

Guidelines based on Project Head Start performance standards are offered for persons interested in starting and operating a home-based child development program providing individualized family services through home visits. Opening sections of the manual sensitize prospective service providers to problems and positive outcomes of home-based…

This document, the second of two based on a study of telecommunications in the schools conducted by Designs for Education, uses data from the first volume as a basis for discussion and recommendations concerning the integration of telecommunications into elementary and secondary education. Intended for use by the professional in education and…

Explains why the educational organization should sponsor, facilitate, and coordinate staff development activities. Describes 12 guiding principles that give staff development programs a positive direction, including commitment, recognition of the individual, planning and coordination of staff development, program implementation, and program…

Presents a systematic plan for developing a district-wide approach to computer based instruction (CBI) for local education agencies (LEAs). Topics discussed include establishing a computer committee to help with planning; identifying goals and objectives; implementation strategies; personnel; equipment purchases; courseware selection; staff…

Divided into ten chapters, this document provides for implementing a competency-based staff development (CBSD) program for postsecondary occupational instructors. It also provides case examples of two exemplary CBSD postsecondary programs. Chapter 1 contains an introduction to CBSD programs. Chapter 2 discusses the competency identification…

A long-range program of staff development must be an integral part of any process of program development and maintenance. (Author/PHR)