While teacher centers vary widely in origin, size, and sophistication, most respond to teachers in four crucial ways: (1) services planned according to teacher needs; (2) staff members from the teaching ranks; (3) meeting place for teachers; and (4) convenient locations. Three actual teacher centers are described. (CJ)

This study assessed the continuing education needs of 830 leisure services practitioners in Wisconsin. Analyses provide information regarding similarities and differences among leisure services professionals. Demographic characteristics, continuing education needs, interests, participation, and attitudes toward continuing education are discussed.…

Explores primary prevention as an integral part of community mental health practice. Considers the impact of primary prevention on the fundamental tasks of mental health administrators. Suggests ways of overcoming anticipated dilemmas. (RC)

Holds that institutional abuse of children is best prevented by designing programs according to acceptable standards rather than by investigating individual cases. Uses guidelines published in the new "Guidebook on Residential Child Care" to describe prevention theory, staffing and supervision procedures, involvement of outside community members,…

Leadership development requires individuals and groups prepared to support one another for reasons beyond political expediency. (Author)

Continued effective enforcement of civil rights laws by government agencies depends upon the success of survival strategies aimed at easing the problems of antiregulatory sentiments, economic stagnation, and agency mismanagement. Strategies include staff training and accountability for minimum performance standards, cost efficiency, and…

Discusses professional growth contracting as a means of encouraging staff to define their own professional development needs. Describes how professional growth contracting is being used by the student affairs staff at a Maine university. (Author)

Study results indicate that proficiency needs of teachers of composition include: (1) teaching/learning strategies for improving student writing ability; (2) applying the writing processes to their own as well as to student writing; and (3) evaluating student writing performance. Findings indicate that teachers need to engage in considerable…

Argues that teachers' individual differences contribute to the failure of many inservice workshops. Suggests ways by which consultants and staff developers can deal with differences and provide alternatives for more individualized instruction. (RL)

There are four elements which the author has found to be essential for success when designing and conducting staff development programs: awareness, application, implementation, and maintenance. Each of these elements is discussed in detail, followed by the warning that the four-phase model requires school board commitment to insure its success.…

Employees classified into development and research groups were contrasted for differences in vocational interest and personality inventory responses. Discriminant and classification analyses indicated that these two groups could be distinguished. Development personnel exhibited greater interests in supervisory-related areas, but researchers showed…

Describes and evaluates a training program entitled PASSAGES which addresses the need for employee career planning. Implications of the program for business and industry are discussed. (RC)

Examined the differential effects of a management by objectives (MBO) program on work satisfaction of development and research employee groups. Analyses indicated that these groups differed in perceptions of their work group climates and that facets of MBO explained significantly different amounts of variance in the groups' work satisfaction.…

The article proposes training rural educators to become self-directed in their own improvement activities. The article summarizes current literature and notes four skills necessary for self-directed development: objectivity; self-critiques; examining only a few instructional skills at a given time; and reinforcement of self. (SB)

A 1978 statewide needs assessment in Ohio included items designed to identify teachers' motivations for participation in adult basic education staff development activities. Degree programs and credit courses were found to provide the greatest motivation for participation. (Author/SK)