Responding to the National Commission on Excellence in Education's report on the status of education in the United States, Secretary of Education, T. H. Bell, addresses six questions: (1) Given that the Commission discussed the federal, state, local, parental, and student roles and responsibilities, who should take the lead in education? (2) How…

A preliminary study investigated whether regular periods of sustained silent reading (SSR) would positively affect verified silent reading comprehension scores for eighth grade students. The hypothesis tested was that students allowed 15 minutes of recreational reading (reading self selected material for enjoyment) five times a week for three…

Although there are many retrospective accounts from teachers and professional writers concerning the effect of computers on their writing, there are few real-time accounts of students struggling to simultaneously develop as writers and cope with computers. To fill this void in "testimonial data," a study examining talking-aloud protocols from a…

Thirty-four faculty development programs at colleges and universities in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota are described. Descriptions of the programs, which are funded by the Bush Foundation, provide a brief overview of the college involved, outline the program goals and strategies and identify a contact person. Areas addressed by the…

Developed for use primarily with middle school age students, this introductory booklet provides a sample of innovative activities that integrate mathematics skills with science processes. The investigations employ a wide variety of readily available and easily understood materials. The 25 activities are sequenced from simple to complex according…

The Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) is a statewide testing program in reading and mathematics, with other subject areas tested on a sampling basis. The MEAP tests are administered every fall to all fourth, seventh and tenth graders. This handbook was developed to assist educators in analyzing, using, and reporting MEAP test results.…

A substantial body of reading research indicates that poor readers would become much more successful if teachers pretended that they were actually good readers. First, research suggests that teachers should provide poor readers with more silent and less oral reading time, thereby furnishing them with more reading experience that emphasizes meaning…

The recruitment, selection, induction, and retention of capable teachers are interrelated processes involving schools' personnel, policies, and organization. This report explores issues surrounding these processes and discusses methods to improve districts' programs. Part I, "Recruiting Teachers," describes the competition for capable…

Research and practice have shown that staff development is the key to the successful implementation of any effective schools project. Staff development is defined as the ongoing, job-related, research-based activity provided for employees to maintain and improve their competencies. Part 1 of this paper outlines components (such as district-level…

Based on a task force review, this policy paper outlines the state of inequity in education now present in New Zealand and sets forth proposals for action. The report recommends urgent action by the government to realize its concern for policies to address social inequity. The proposals support procedures for developing and implementing…

The speech communications professionals who are involved in training and consulting need to conceptualize and talk about their activities as communication educators--not as trainers. Clients should be taught to make interpretive choices appropriate to their rhetorical environment, in addition to learning basic skills. As educators in the corporate…

To assess opinions among members of the education networks of the Sisters of Mercy, a 4-part, 45-item questionnaire was distributed in 1986. Respondents represented higher education, secondary education, and elementary education. Results from major superiors of the Union and its nine provinces and each of the independent congregations are reported…

Proceedings of the eleventh international conference on improving university teaching are presented. Theme presentations and authors include: "Quality Control in Higher Education: Current Issues in Britain" (Gerald T. Fowler); "Quality Control in Higher Education: A Comparison of Current Issues in Three Countries--The Case of…

This paper discusses a career ladder plan developed by the Clayton (Missouri) School District and the teacher assessment procedure developed to implement that plan. The basics of the plan include (1) a 20-step basic salary schedule, (2) a system of incentives and rewards available to each teacher at each stage of the career ladder, and (3) an…

This paper examines factors that promote and diminish teacher trust in the instructional supervision process. Trust--key to the supervisor's success in helping teachers change behaviors--is correlated with such factors as confidentiality, approach to dealing with complaints, and the development of collaboration and participation in supervisory…