Some practical approaches to implementing preretirement education programs for personnel at public research universities are offered, based on a program developed at Ohio University. Preretirement program goals are to educate employees about the critical components in retirement planning and to provide unbiased and impartial resource information…

Addresses outsourcing of school facilities services and the steps facilities services staff can take to help preserve their jobs. Steps include increasing organizational communication of staff efforts; investigating computer software to better manage service delivery; training and motivating staff in new ideas and practices; and establishing goals…

A study trained four parent-child advocates serving homeless parents and children (ages birth-3) in providing one-on-one early intervention to facilitate healthy parent-child interactions. After training, all advocates increased their use of positive, contingent, and instructive feedback and mothers became more contingent, social-emotional growth…

The University of Calgary (Alberta) was recognized for adopting competency-based human resource processes that focus on developing and rewarding staff for demonstrating competencies critical to the university's success. Programs and resources were redirected to support staff learning, attendance at learning and development programs increased by…

Discusses the need for a graduate degree in librarianship. Topics include differences between undergraduate and master's level courses; experience; in-house training programs; incentives for library support staff to get a master's degree; and professionalism, including the ability to build community, technological literacy, and a belief in the…

Chronicles one school's attempt to create a school- wide portfolio as a tool for evaluating the growth and progress of children and as a means of professional growth for teachers and the director/principal. Discusses the staff meetings to discuss philosophy, focus group meetings to formulate the portfolios, and between-meeting activities. Notes…

Reports an action research project to evaluate an intervention designed to increase students' confidence in an undergraduate peer assessment of posters in Psychology. Evidence from qualitative evaluation questionnaires suggested that students' initial resistance to the peer assessment was transformed by their participation in these processes. (AEF)

Identifies key challenges for community colleges concerning faculty and professional staff: preparing and attracting qualified faculty, implementing the teaching and learning paradigm, helping faculty make use of current technology, and improving the status and morale of professional staff. Proposes several potential solutions for each challenge.…

Four camp directors discuss how the September 11 tragedy and current world events will affect their camps. They describe how they are addressing safety concerns, working with parents, cooperating with outside agencies, hiring and screening international staff, and revising emergency plans. Camps must continue to offer community and support to…

Offers a theory of collaborative mentorship as a powerful force for professional development and change, describing a co-mentoring project in which professionals across a school-university setting formed a collaborative culture of learning. The paper describes their partnership support group, discusses how partners suspended distinctions between…

Provides an example of staff and undergraduate student development through collaborative writing within a discipline. The "writing to learn" initiative involved staff developers working alongside academic staff and students within subject tutorials, which placed the developer at the nexus of both staff and student development and facilitated an…

The Internet's unique scope, characteristics and potential make it a vehicle for media specialists to model good use of information technology and provide far-reaching instructional leadership in schools. This article focuses on approaches to Web site selection, supervision, and staff development for effective use of the Internet in schools. (AEF)

Focuses on "Bootstrap Training," a scientific literacy program for permanent non-science and part-time adjunct librarians at San Jose State University Library. Describes an initial training-needs questionnaire distributed to all reference personnel, the implementation of a staff development program with scientific literacy goals,…

This study evaluated behavior support training for a residential and vocational support agency. Three training sessions were provided to managerial and direct-care staff, during which trainees worked in teams to plan or complete functional assessments and behavior support plans for focus clients. Frequency of problem behavior was reduced for all…

Describes how best to prepare camp staff to put the kids first by developing a mindset of believing in children. Gives practical suggestions to camp staff, including advice that supervisors commit themselves to identifying at least one positive counseling experience each day and acknowledging that success publicly or privately. (CDS)