Using a symbolic interactionism theoretical perspective, this project examined the merits of team collaborative action research as a tool in comprehensive staff development for middle- grade teachers. The specific question examined during the action research was how inclusion of special needs students affects the academic and social achievement of…

This manual was developed in response to teachers' requests for help in maintaining focus and resolving questions and concerns arising out of the Questioning and Understanding to Improve Learning and Thinking (QUILT) program. The introduction describes collegial investigation as a structural process that groups can use to examine problems, issues,…

This survey gauged the number of academic libraries offering workshops and classes on the use of the Internet and the World Wide Web. In the spring of 1996, a survey on Internet instruction was distributed to the then 119 ARL member libraries. The survey asked about instruction methods, instructional facilities, planning, technology, publicity,…

The theoretical implications of management assessment centers for evaluating headteachers in Great Britain are examined in this paper. Issues in developing informed, objective management assessment are discussed, which involve the following: the educational system's permeable boundaries; the context in which management assessment and development…

Needs assessments enable program developers to address the unique characteristics of their target audiences and their environment. They have a number of useful purposes for AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) education and training. They inform program planning and implementation, provide baseline data, increase the potential for…

America's ability to compete, its democratic system, and the future of its children depend upon all children achieving educational success. The Business Roundtable (BRT), representing some 200 corporations, believes that systemic changes are needed to realize essential educational goals. The new educational system advocated by BRT is committed to…

A review of research traces the history and development of staff development and inservice teacher education during the 20th century. Current research suggests that if teachers were to consider staff development as one of their most important responsibilities, they would have a profound influence on the direction their school would take in…

Illinois received one of six 2-year National Institute for Literacy grants to create statewide interagency staff development systems for literacy. After a staff development plan has been developed/implemented, a needs assessment process is developed that entails the following five steps: determine indicators of program quality and develop…

This study examined the effects of curriculum compacting, a curriculum modification technique for gifted and talented students, with approximately 436 elementary teachers and 783 students in 27 school districts throughout the United States. The study was designed to investigate the types and amount of curriculum content that could be eliminated…

This booklet provides an introduction for health service managers, trainers, and personnel about basic skills. It provides background information on the link between poor basic skills and poor health as well as information about the ways in which people use basic skills in their daily lives. Two reasons for health care organizations to be involved…

One of the main reasons why educational change often fails is the neglect of implementation. This book presents a summary of what has been learned during the past decades about implementing successful school improvement. Chapter 1 provides an overview of this knowledge, identifying factors and processes associated with success, and pointing to…

This report describes the development and pilot testing of a fire safety certification system for board and care operators and staff who serve clients with developmental disabilities. During Phase 1, training materials were developed, including a trainer's manual, a participant's coursebook a videotape, an audiotape, and a pre-/post test which was…

This transcript presents testimony given at a House of Representatives committee hearing on the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Included is the text of an amendment, the Braille Literacy Amendment, which is intended to improve the literacy rate among children with visual impairments. This amendment calls for an…

This guide is part of a program designed to teach both cognitive skills (thinking skills) and cognitive strategies (thinking procedures) necessary for productive problem solving, mindful decision making, and creative ideation by all students in kindergarten through grade 12 settings. The program is a comprehensive staff development model in which…

In response to concerns about current grading policies and procedures, a study was undertaken to provide state leaders with descriptions of grading policies and procedures across high schools. A total of 144 districts (out of 292 in the state that was the focus of this study) responded. Documents provided by the districts varied according to…