The manual covers the design and implementation of respite care services for families with developmentally disabled members. An introductory chapter examines the concept of respite care, notes the benefits for families, providers, and community residential programs, and places the service as one part of a comprehensive array of family support…

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)…

The author presents a five-stage model for staff development used in a survey of professors and practitioners. The survey found that there is a disparity between what professors and practitioners believe is practiced and what is actually occurring in staff development. (MD)

Within an individual building, the School Improvement Process (SIP) provides a focus for staff development and an evaluation of results that are linked to student outcomes. SIP emphasizes a building level, bottom-up planning and decision-making process. This article presents a case study of an individual school's use of SIP. (IAH)

The Delaware experience shows that staff development can be a positive force for change in schools, that principals can be effective facilitators for staff development, and that teacher involvement in training, discussion, and observation will help foster collegiality and acceptance of change. Includes 13 references. (MLH)

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)

The authors analyzed data from the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2000 to assess the associations between the presence of a district physical education coordinator and district-level physical education policies and practices recommended by federal government agencies and national organizations. The authors also examined the relationship…

This article explores some of the major issues in developing and implementing a competency-based human resource development strategy. The article summarizes a brief literature review on how competency models can be developed and implemented to improve employee performance. A case study is presented of American Medical Systems (AMS), a mid-sized…

This booklet describes one of the earliest staff development models to support school-based improvement, the RPTIM model. The letters "RPTIM" represent the five stages of the school-based approach to staff development--readiness, planning, training, implementation, and maintenance. The model is based on the belief that the school is the primary…

Beginning with an analogy of today's schools as factories, this paper describes the conditions which make it both possible and imperative to transform schools. Examples are given of resources that may be used to support school-based changes, such as foundations, regional laboratories, professional associations, and universities. A model is offered…

Designed to propose ways for the Colorado Department of Education to provide leadership in the implementation of a statewide educational telecommunications network, this study examines ways in which telecommunications can be used by the state department of education, school districts, libraries, and other informational or educational agencies to…

Confronted by a maturing staff, lower teacher turnover rates, declining enrollments, and more sophisticated instructional methods, the Bloomfield (New Jersey) Public School District adopted an ambitious staff development initiative in 1983. This paper describes the planning and implementation strategies used to launch Bloomfield's Teaching…

A study of 120 teachers who participated in a staff development program explores the relationship between perceptions shared by effective teachers and teacher attitudes toward implementing new instructional practices. Implications for instructional improvement efforts are discussed. (JL)

Describes the plan used by the Jackson, Mississippi, school district to improve its program. Notes that the plan focused on (1) the instructional program, (2) districtwide staff development, (3) in-depth evaluation, and (4) a community-district communications network. (FL)

Computers are the objects of instruction, the means to deliver instruction, and tools for learning. Short case studies of particular programs show how computers are being used. Also discussed is how computer programs can be implemented. (JMK)