Developing vocational education is a necessity for the economic and social development of high-poverty areas in China. But vocational education in impoverished areas lacks social recognition and faces funding shortages, along with difficulties in recruiting students. Vocational high schools themselves also have shortcomings. This article considers…

The "Blueprint for Training and Practice III" (Blueprint III; Ysseldyke et al., 2006), attempts to pinpoint the vision for the field of school psychology through highlighting school psychologists' role as consultants engaged in activities ranging from individual to systems-level change. Although the literature is replete with calls to restructure…

Many studies have been conducted evaluating the use of feedback in staff training in organizational settings. Central to this literature has been the use of a variety of forms of feedback, including videotaped feedback. A distinction is outlined between video modeling and a variety of possible video feedback procedures. Previous studies have…

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the importance of new employee orientation (NEO) programs, the quality of typical NEOs, and how to improve NEOs. Design/methodology/approach: The paper provides a viewpoint of the importance of new employee orientation programs, the quality of typical NEOs, and how to improve NEOs. Findings: Although western…

School inspection, school self-evaluation and the relationship between them are important themes in current educational policy debates. Many education systems are seeking to find a balance between the, at times, conflicting demands for a robust, transparent and effective system of school evaluation that at the same time allows for professional…

This paper documents the experience and lessons from implementing an e-learning program aimed at creating multidisciplinary research capacity. It presents a case study of bringing together a multidisciplinary group of professionals on-line to learn the skills needed to be a successful researcher in the context of HIV/AIDS and food security…

Schools across the country are implementing professional development initiatives with the intent of improving student outcomes. Over the past twenty years the criterion for measuring professional development has shifted from identifying what schools quantify to how professional development impacts students' performance. Teachers are under a…

21st century classrooms are different from the traditional high school classroom. The teacher is not the focal point of learning and the students take the lead role. Technology integration is a major component to this shift in teaching style. The inclusion of technology into the classroom and how it influences teaching practice and student…

Research has shown that teachers have the greatest impact on student learning more than any other factor (Haycock, 1998). Thus, highly qualified and effective teachers are the most important resource for schools and districts in order to educate all students. In a time of increased accountability and alternatively certified teachers, effective and…

There is a growing shortage of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. This shortage is at a crisis now and will continue to become more of a crisis unless changes are made. This is a crisis for many community employers and even more of a crisis for the people with disabilities who are faced…

The purpose of this study was to investigate mean differences among groups relative to their responses to an instructional technology survey, examine patterns of teacher and student use of technology, and explore perceptions of technology staff development. Survey methodology was used to gather data from 744 teachers representing 21 school…

This article describes three different ways of using paraeducators during adapted physical education. (1.) Having paraeducators read a portion of the lesson plan that describes the desired support towards lesson objectives. Paraeducators then assist all students when needed. (2.) Assigning specific modifications for paraeducators through the IEP…

Recent news in the national media about two students' deaths as a result of harassment in school has highlighted a renewed desire for educators to address the culture of bullying and harassment in public schools, especially when the victims are targeted for their real or perceived differences. South Carolina's legislature responded to this need in…

Background: Interactive training (IT) is one of the two staff training components of the active support (AS) model. The present study explores how effective IT is when offered to staff divorced in time from the AS workshops, the other training component. We explored the effects of IT on resident activity engagement, challenging behaviours and…

Each year, 200 novice teachers arrive at the schools in a large district in Reno, Nevada. The district's challenge is to create a comprehensive system of support for these teachers. For eight years, the district has provided a site-mentor for each of the novice teachers and required attendance in a two-year program of study as part of the New…