Meeting teachers' different needs calls for varying staff development strategies. Options offered by the Charleston (South Carolina) schools include individualized education plans, short-term sabbaticals, substitute teacher teams, teachers as instructors, peer coaching, teacher exchanges, release time, summer workshops, weekend retreats, and…

Staff should be aware of four adult learning principles influencing their conference learning experience: (1) adults learn what they really want to learn; (2) they learn by doing; (3) their motivations are varied and strong; and (4) their experiences enrich the learning situation. (SK)

Four small business owners recommend making the crucial departments the best, providing opportunities from within, involving senior managers in training, offering tuition assistance, having workers train each other, fostering trust between employers and employees, allowing the free flow of information, and using total quality management or quality…

A nominal group of 21 policymakers and training practitioners ranked research questions in three categories: strategic, applied, and fundamental. Twenty-six of the 35 questions appeared to be of high priority. Promising research issues include organizational effectiveness, cost/benefit concerns, human resource planning, and the mobility of special…

Discusses mentoring among entry-level librarians and examines whether mentor-protege relationships are truly beneficial. Topics addressed include career advancement for women, the role of library management, staff training and development practices, and advocacy for the library profession. (LRW)

This article addresses assumptions that currently guide personnel training and technical assistance in organizations providing services to people with disabilities. Implications of a quality improvement perspective are then considered as they apply to new perspectives on roles, on decision-making processes, and on evaluation. (DB)

Companies that manage diversity successfully have common characteristics: chief executives' commitment, diversity as a business objective, fair compensation and career tracking, careful diversity training, consistent focus during downsizing, and plans that address the concerns of white males. (SK)

Analysis of workplace experiences recounted by 29 human resource development (HRD) professionals uncovered 3 themes: emphasis on people and work processes, need for greater personal control and security, and desire for task and functional equity. Findings suggest that HRD is an occupational culture more concerned with employee development and…

Argues that training for automated library systems is an ongoing process which does not stop once the system is operational. Some problems that can be alleviated through ongoing training are examined, including the addition of new employees and/or new systems software and functions. (nine references) (MAB)

Optimizing the use of resources for teacher development is a hardy perennial facing school and district administrators. This paper outlines a three-step process to assess the desirability and feasibility of proposed inservice education projects. The process involves establishing worth based on expressed interest; projecting likelihood of success…

As a site-based, participatory management project being implemented in 15 schools throughout Delaware, RE:Learning is a natural extension of the collegial relationships established over the past 10 years between local schools and districts and the State Department of Public Instruction. Success hinges on a periodic school review process and a…

A survey of 20 cooperative education directors in universities revealed that (1) reflection, meaningful dialog, proactivity, and self-direction enhance workplace learning; (2) workplace learning can result from stressful situations; (3) supervisory relationships influence the learning climate; and (4) instructional design and trainer competence…

Describes implementation of a staff development project on cooperative learning. Notes that an important by-product of this project was the informal communication that occurred among teachers as a result of their common experiences. (RS)

The goal of the Florida Department of Corrections is to be innovative leader in the criminal justice system, to be best-managed public agency in the Florida state government, and to be number-one correctional system in the nation. The Illinois Department of Corrections has initiated aggressive efforts to recruit qualified minority applicants to…

Data from a survey of executive development directors were the basis for this mentoring program framework, consisting of (1) program development (protege and mentor selection, training, and linkage); (2) implementation (career and psychosocial functions); and (3) evaluation (formal and informal outcomes assessment). (SK)