This document presents, as part of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, witness testimony and prepared statements on the subject of professional development in the elementary and secondary school systems. Witnesses included Rhode Island (RI) elementary and secondary school principals and teachers, officials from the…

This report summarizes a study undertaken to determine and describe a "generic" set of microcomputer competencies that should be possessed by all professional secondary school personnel and a more "specialized" set of microcomputer competencies that are expected to be possessed by secondary school professionals who work intimately with…

In examining the dynamics of change processes in high schools, this study makes initial interpretations about school officials who serve as change facilitators. The researchers found that a trend exists for the source of change to come from outside the high school. Principals, assistant principals, and department heads as well as central office…

This monograph describes the formal qualifications of the teachers currently teaching in public high schools and notes the variations of qualifications among schools with different characteristics. A survey of an average of 30 randomly selected teachers in each of 340 comprehensive high schools obtained information on: (1) the number of college…

Over the past decade, the high number of teachers leaving the profession has been a growing concern among parents, teacher educators, administrators, and policy-makers. While most argue the problem is due to a burgeoning demand and increased numbers of retirements, some researchers propose that the problem of teacher shortages is far more complex.…

In response to a growing concern regarding the supply of and demand for teachers of science and mathematics in Minnesota secondary schools, a conference was held in December 1982. It was intended to encourage collaborative initiatives among policy makers, classroom teachers, school administrators, school board members, college personnel, and…

On the basis of an extended conference composed of school superintendents and principals in June, 1918, the Arkansas State Board of Education issued, June 1, 1920, a preliminary outline of a course of study for high schools. This circular also contained certain standard requirements for approved high schools. Contained in the outline were the…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics in 1987-88 and 1990-91, asked teachers and principals their view of problems in their schools. When asked about a range of school problems including absenteeism, student drug abuse, and physical conflicts among students, teachers and principals could…

This manual will familiarize data users with the procedures followed for data collection and processing of the base-year teacher component of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988. A corollary objective is to provide the necessary documentation for use of the data files. The manual provides a wide range of information on topics related…

Describes a study investigating extent to which 11 media were utilized by teachers in general, and at elementary, middle, and high school levels in Fort Worth, Texas, public schools. Results indicate nonprint media is underutilized; the simplest forms are chosen for use; and more high school teachers utilize complex technologies. (MBR)

The Idaho edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher…

This study, begun in October 1987, was conducted to explore the effect of particular contexts of schooling on educational outcomes and to provide a comprehensive look at what and how context conditions affect teaching and learning. The study design integrates 3 years of field research in 16 public and private high schools in 2 states and analyses…

To establish base line information on microcomputers and their use for K-12 schools in South Carolina, the State Office of Instructional Technology of the Department of Education conducted a survey of individual schools and school districts. Two different forms were used for the survey, one requiring the principal's signature, and one requiring…

A conceptual framework that provides a mechanism for anticipating the worth and potential success of staff development activities, in advance of their implementation, is described. In the first section, descriptions are given of the four main components of the staff development framework: defining staff development, salient organizational…

This book examines educators' norms, beliefs, and values in case studies of three "improving" high schools. The distinction between "sacred" and "profane" norms in the teaching profession is applied to the relationships among school culture, improvement efforts, and the effectiveness of change strategies. Schools'…