Hoping to inspire greater cooperation among local school boards, administrators, teachers, and state officials, this paper reviews class size research and analyzes effective instructional methods and student learning related to class size issues. The New York State Board of Regents should not standardize class size, since standardization undercuts…

The lack of library facilities, books and documents, and trained personnel are significant obstacles to Indian Tribes and Hawaiian Natives engaged in developing and strengthening public library services. The Library Services for Indian Tribes and Hawaiian Natives Program is the only Federal library program that provides direct grant funds for…

Trainers must be prepared to provide traditional training and to help design original training systems that make it possible to build up new professional identities. The existing literature provides a clear view of the demand for training for trainers. Studies are now focusing on ways in which the training supply is meeting this demand. Some…

In 1987, Congress directed each of the regional educational laboratories to develop a "rural initiative." Beginning in 1991, the U.S. Department of Education directed that the laboratories devote 25% of their effort to helping rural schools by fostering innovative rural education programs that promise to improve instruction, and by…

An online professional development course, Telecommunications and Information Access, offers educators the opportunity to earn graduate credit, learn about an emerging technological field, and interact using a telecommunication network. This independent study course offered by the University of Oregon and the International Society for Technology…

California Assembly Bill (AB) 1725 was passed to improve the operation of the state's community colleges with respect to finance, governance, affirmative action, employment policies, instructional technique, and accountability, providing a $5 million fund for staff development. To assess the effects of AB 1725 on the quantity and quality of…

A statewide needs assessment surveyed felt training needs of administrators, instructors, and advisors of adult literacy programs in Florida. Data were collected in the following ways: questionnaires sent to recipients of Adult Supplemental Grants and advisory-council chairpersons; indepth interviews; a literature review and document analysis; and…

A project was conducted to instruct adult education teachers on communications and counseling issues. A series of four workshops were held to provide instructional and support personnel with practical skills that will make them work more effectively with their students. Attendance at all four workshops was excellent, with 20-30 practitioners at…

Recent medical and surgical advances as well as court decisions have led to special education programs serving a growing number of students with extreme medical and educational needs. Particularly close bonding between the special education teacher and student with severe disabilities can occur, as the teacher provides so many services and works…

For inclusion of students with disabilities to work successfully in schools, a sense of community among faculty and students, a shared mission, and the ability to successfully collaborate with others are essential. Activities to promote collegial relationships among faculty should be a part of each inclusion team's plan for implementing inclusion…

A practicum was designed to increase the expertise of primary teachers in the creation of developmentally appropriate reading/writing curriculum for the multi-age, multi-ability, primary classroom through literacy training staff development sessions. The system of literacy training was constructed over a period of eight months with 34 primary…

This project explored the activities and attitudes of Scottish teachers (N=50) on secondment to a variety of different bodies. The term "secondment" refers to the short-term assignment of a professional person from one institution to another, involving new forms of accountability and professional commitment. Three types of secondments…

Each of the four papers in this collection is concerned with open learning in one form or another. "Open Learning: Some Current Perspectives" (Ian Barnard) addresses the topic of open learning in general, commenting on contemporary views and developments, and defining the term as a collective for approaches and practices that focus on…

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of a staff development program on the performance of principals in one of their most important tasks: the annual evaluation of teachers. The objective was to determine whether the effects of the staff development training could be seen in the quality of documentation provided by the…

Outcomes of a staff development program based on the whole language philosophy that was implemented in a rural Florida elementary school are presented in this practicum report. Two surveys of 29 and 35 faculty, respectively, indicated needs for faculty cohesiveness, a unified purpose, and an update of language arts teaching skills. A staff…