This report presents samples of models and strategies for determining professional development needs of special education personnel. The following areas are covered: definitions of needs and the needs assessment process; personnel needs assessment regulations under the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development, the Individuals with…

This report describes the final status of classroom practice in Texas prekindergarten programs in comparison to initial study findings and findings from a self-study component implemented in 1993 with prekindergarten staffs participating in the study. Findings from the longitudinal component indicated positive trends in academic performance for…

The Urban Education Project at Research for Better Schools, Inc. has developed an integrated knowledge base that incorporates and disseminates the most current and promising research for improvement and reform in urban schools. This knowledge base has been organized into a decision-making framework, the Urban Learner Framework (ULF), that…

In spring 1989, a group of 33 administrators, supervisors, faculty, and staff from El Camino College (ECC) in Torrance, California, attended 10 days of training in Total Quality Management (TQM) tools and techniques. The subsequent implementation of TQM at ECC included the following six phases: (1) establishing a Campus Commitment to Excellence…

This guide is intended to be used as a companion to "The Competitive Edge: Sharpening Your Skills in the Workplace" curricular materials--the student editions and instructors' guides. It can also stand alone as a reference for individuals just starting to implement or beginning to plan a workplace skills enhancement program in their organization.…

This final report describes activities of the Early Integration Training Project (EITP), which provided multidisciplinary inservice training to child-care personnel in Ohio to facilitate the inclusion of young children (birth through age 5) with disabilities in typical community early childhood programs. The 3-year project has provided a 15-hour…

This report underlines the need for cooperation between the business world and educators in an effort to upgrade the quality of educational outcomes. It describes a partnership formed between the senior program associate of COGNET, an area business, and Hardy Elementary School, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The result was a COGNET Summer Institute…

This bulletin, which is intended for senior managers in Great Britain's health, education, and social service sectors who are involved in planning or providing learning programs for adults with severe learning disabilities, identifies key issues in the strategic planning of programs using the packet of materials titled "A New Life." This…

This paper describes the Duke University Libraries' transition in early 1994 from its traditional hierarchical model to an organization emphasizing Total Quality Management (TQM) concepts such as self-managing teams and continuous improvement. Existing conditions at the libraries that played a role in the decision to switch included: (1) rising…

This trainer's manual was developed to provide a consistent knowledge and skill base (i.e., a "foundation") for all individuals employed in programs funded by Oklahoma's Developmental Disabilities Services Division. They include van drivers, recreation workers, residential staff, administrators, case managers, secretarial/clerical staff,…

The Des Moines (Iowa) Independent Community School District Department of Information Management provides leadership and management services for the district in the areas of strategic planning for district improvement, technology, telecommunications, accountability, program evaluation, research, testing/assessment, and student information. This is…

To develop a college-wide resolution process for dealing with student concerns, Burlington County College, in New Jersey, undertook a planning effort involving the faculty, student, staff, and administrator senates in the college's governance system. Rather than appoint an administrator to lead the project, a member of the staff senate was…

Since 1990 the author has designed and led staff development activities for 12 Australian schools in which every child is asked to own a notebook computer. Workshops are designed to inspire teachers to lead each other in the transition from traditional methodology to universal personal computing. This paper provides a case study of a school in…

This document reports on a 2-year study to determine the health education needs of young people in Scotland and to collaborate with teachers to improve the delivery of health education in relation to specific issues. The study was in two phases. Phase 1 assessed the needs of pupils according to the views of the pupils and adults, their needs based…

Principals from the 1991-1992 Blue Ribbon Schools--those schools selected by the U.S. Department of Education that have demonstrated an unusual ability to create an atmosphere that promotes learning for "everyone"--were asked to share a "best idea" that they had put into practice in their schools. Selected from over 100 submissions, the "best…