Examines current issues and trends in the United Kingdom's outdoor education industry as context for discussions about forming a national association for outdoor professionals. Discusses declining state provision of outdoor education in schools, increasing commercialism, recent negative images of the outdoor industry, increasing emphasis on safety…

A study evaluated effects of a staff training package on the number of choice responses and performance responses made by adults with disabilities in a community purchasing activity. After training, all four staffers generalized offering choices and promoting performance across settings and adults with disabilities and maintained the skills.…

Discusses the top challenges commonly confronted nationwide by school districts districts, facilities, and business. Challenges include construction and repair, enrollment, funding, security and safety, technology, maintenance, staff training and retention, and unfunded mandates. (GR)

Professional development schools address the staff development of experienced teachers and the development of school and teacher programs at the same time at the school site. Describes a school-university partnership between the Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District and the University of Missouri-St. Louis. (MLF)

Presents a model instructional session that was prepared and taught by librarians to introduce college students, faculty, and staff to the Internet by teaching them how to join listservs and topic-centered discussion groups. Describes the sessions' audience, learning objectives, facility, and course design. Presents a checklist for preparing an…

Facing an ever-increasing student retention rate, staff at a Washington elementary school implemented a multiage program. Teachers received considerable training but experienced burnout the first year. Four years later, retention is down, test scores and attendance are up, discipline referrals have decreased, teacher turnover is low, and parents…

Discusses information literacy and presents a theoretical framework for higher education. Highlights include characteristics of an information literate person, including independent self-directed learning and the use of information technology; information literacy education strategies in the academic curriculum; evaluating information literacy…

Human resource professionals who find themselves charged with selecting and conducting employee training are advised to use adult learning theory to develop effective programs. Tips for facilitating adult training sessions, questions to address before designing a training program, and pointers for successful flip chart use are offered. (MSE)

Among the 156 employees of a Canadian corporation, group initiatives and ropes courses were equally effective at improving overall trust toward their organization. However, the ropes course diminished acceptance of others' ideas, while group initiatives built acceptance. The ropes course enhanced encouragement of others' efforts, while group…

When the Battle River Regional School Division (Alberta) realized that multiple staff development priorities were fragmenting school and district focus on increasing student achievement, it formed a committee of regional, district, and school stakeholders that developed six staff development priorities, all promoting student achievement, and…

Faculty and staff desire challenges contributing to their continuous growth and development. School systems can better retain talented teachers by establishing performance goals, providing performance coaching, conducting developmental evaluations, building professional growth and development partnerships, creating supportive work environments,…

Describes ways in which professional development activities can be rewarding. Offers details from a support staff event at Wytheville Community College in Virginia as a template for a successful event. Focuses on planning, instruction, humor, camaraderie, and appreciation. (NB)

A study evaluated effects of a multifaceted training procedure on the inappropriate and appropriate social behavior of five adolescents with mild intellectual disability and on staff responses. The training included video feedback and self-management procedures and staff training with video and graphic feedback. Results indicated increases in…

The Georgia Framework for Integrating Technology in the Student-Centered Classroom (InTech) was created as a staff development program to prepare teachers to integrate technology, student learning, and academic goals. Findings from a survey of 68 middle school teachers, 10 with InTech training, 58 without, revealed InTech teachers showed increases…

The early drafts of the National Science Education Standards (NSES) did not include any mention of staff development; it was not considered as part of the needed visions for changing school science. It was when the final draft was offered to the leadership in the National Academy of Sciences that a section on Staff Development was added in…