This report describes major issues in teaching and current initiatives and proposals to strengthen teaching in New York State. An overview is presented of state action and local projects aimed at teacher improvement in the areas of: (1) recruitment and preservice teacher education; (2) teacher certification; (3) staff development and other…

The Cajon Valley/San Diego State University Model Education Center (MEC) focuses on the training of elementary school teachers, teacher inservice, and collaborative leadership. It provides an exemplary training site for preparing elementary school teachers, and uses staff development to create a school environment/climate which will produce…

Components of a student retention program at Eastern Michigan University are examined; for each effort to improve retention, project objectives and design, results, and recommendations are presented. Retention initiatives, decided upon as a result of a campus-wide mobilization of effort, include: a student-focused orientation system, a fast track…

This document describes the early childhood services program in Alberta, Canada and its goals for accomplishment with children, within families, and in the community. Early Childhood Services (ECS), Alberta Education, is concerned with the provision of a coordinated system of local, regional, and provincial programs and services to meet the…

Two Oregon science education programs are described following an introduction that discusses underlying problems in science education and approaches taken by exemplary practices. Exemplary practices involve the process method of instruction, teacher training, utilization of science resources outside the school, and instruction that emphasizes the…

To overcome teacher isolation and help make teaching a more attractive profession, educators might consider a peer support system based on the Stanford Collegial Evaluation Program. This paper describes the program's background, functioning, barriers to successful implementation, and how to neutralize them. The Stanford program uses a peer…

This guide to designing an effective second language instructional program in the public schools provides parents, community leaders, and school personnel with practical guidelines for reviewing current foreign language instructional programs and for introducing changes in the curriculum that are in line with the emphasis on communication. An…

Unquantifiable changes affecting attitudes of teachers, administrators, and students who were involved with a four-year comprehensive staff development effort are discussed. A brief overview and analysis of the Napa-Vacaville Follow Through Research Project describes the program designed to improve student engaged rates and achievement at two…

In 1984-85, the Bilingual Mini-School was in its second year of a 3-year funding cycle at Samuel Gompers High School (Bronx, New York). The program provided instruction in English as a second language (ESL) and native language arts, in addition to bilingual instruction in mathematics, science, and social studies, to 84 Spanish-speaking students of…

A "learning by doing" class was offered by the University of Minnesota to teach needs assessment concepts and approaches. The needs assessment was conducted at the Onan Corporation, which produces industrial engines and other equipment. The class was composed of nine graduate students in industrial or vocational education and was…

During 1983-84, the second of three program cycles of the Title VII English as a Second Language, Special Education Development Approach Curriculum Project (ESL-SEDAC) was fully implemented in the New York City Public Schools. The project provided direct instruction to 260 handicapped limited English proficient students, resource assistance,…

This 1985 Educator Opinion Poll was designed to obtain accurate data on the status, experience, and range of views held by public school teachers. The status and experience questions covered such topics as current class size, number of years of teaching experience, annual salary, eligibility for merit pay, education, professional affiliations, and…

One hundred vocational administrators in Alabama responded to a questionnaire designed to determine the following: (1) the administrative tasks performed by secondary-level vocational education administrators; (2) the administrator tasks performed by deans of instruction in teachnical colleges; (3) the perceived competency level of administrators…

Educational policy research has yet to account for the movement and manifestations of federal and state policies in local school districts. In an effort to describe and explain major consequences of policy, this study examines the policy ingression process (the movement of policy in the form of statute and regulation from the district…

This study was originally undertaken to describe an elementary school's bilingual education program and examine the process and effects of bilingual teacher development efforts, but it refocused on program change due to reduction in federal funding. A literature review explores materials relating to the process of change, staff development and…