The purpose of this investigation was to search for new educational policies that would help renew and invigorate old ideas and concepts about inservice and professional development programs in the public schools. The methodology included both qualitative and quantitative functions. The key technique was an interview schedule with Likert-type…

Four keynote speeches and 14 sectional presentations comprise the proceedings of the April 1981 Montana Symposium on Early Education and the Exceptional Child. The first speech, entitled "The Yellow Brick Road--Does it Lead to Oz or Abyss?" by B. Fredericks, stresses the importance of gathering solid research evidence to demonstrate that early…

The awareness of the effects of stress on school personnel and its effects on student achievement led to the formation of a committee to examine the problem and establish some objectives. A copy of the questionnaire submitted to the personnel of the Worchester, Massachusetts, Public Schools is presented. Job related factors were listed with…

All administrators yearn for that magic tool to not only simplify their lives but also enrich their school. This complete collection of ready-made job descriptions, forms, and guidelines will breathe new life into stale job descriptions while enriching the teacher evaluation process. This book offers fresh ideas for developing staff through…

This report from the Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE) focuses on working conditions that affect special education teachers and how teachers acquire needed professional skills. The report found: (1) 80% of special education teachers serve students with two or more primary disabilities; (2) almost one-fourth of students served…

This book offers insights on and techniques for dealing with emotional demands in the classroom, noting how highly effective teachers deal with such demands and how they gain help and support from their colleagues and administrators. Based on extensive interviews with educators and others nationwide, the book explains what gives them energy, how…

One of the continuing problems for public education has been the absence of effective programs to support teachers during their induction into the profession. Describes an intervention program coordinated by mentor counselors and mentor teachers along with preliminary qualitative and quantitative findings. (JBJ)

The factorial validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the equivalence of factorial measurements and structure across groups were studied for 163 intermediate-grade teachers, 162 secondary school teachers, and 218 university teachers in Canada. Reasons why the MBI may not be appropriate for university educators are discussed. (SLD)

A survey of 385 special and 313 general education teachers in Virginia found that groups had similar perceptions of principal support. Work-related variables were better predictors of extent of perceived support than were demographic variables. Specific types of support were significant predictors of job satisfaction, school commitment, and…

This module is designed to train paraprofessionals who work with individuals who have disabilities. Both the facilitator's edition and the corresponding student's edition are provided. Chapter 1 describes the job roles of paraprofessionals, including characteristics of successful paraprofessionals. Chapter 2 describes the work environment,…

Urban school restructuring, although it can break down bureaucracy and empower teachers, can also seem distant from the day-to-day problems of most teachers, and even increase teacher burnout. Many of the following initiatives of the school restructuring movement may intensify a teacher's frustration: (1) school-based management may raise the…

A study was done of Atlanta (Georgia) public school teacher morale in May of 1990. About 40 percent of the teaching staff (1,520 teachers) voluntarily completed a 91-item questionnaire that contained subsets of questions from the Maslach Burnout Inventory and three subscales of emotional exhaustion, departmentalization, and personal…

In 1991, a study was conducted at Saint Petersburg Junior College (SPJC) to develop a set of strategies for coping with the ramifications of an aging faculty. The study was initiated as a result of projections that large numbers of aging faculty would soon be retiring in the same or consecutive years. The first step of the study consisted of…

Teacher burnout, defined as feelings of uselessness and inconsequentiality, did not begin in the l960s, but it was aggravated by increasing lack of respect and appreciation from the general public. The great social unrest of the l960s and l970s focused on the related issues of economic and educational inequity, and much public pressure was brought…

Documented effects of relaxed school disciplinary standards show the need for implementation of strict, consistent disciplinary measures. Poor school discipline endangers students and staff, contributes to teacher burnout, hinders student education, costs taxpayers, and encourages criminality both in and out of school. Students rights advocates…