The digest addresses topics related to professional training for teachers of gifted and talented students. General responsibilities of such teachers include organizing enrichment activities for students and teachers, disseminating information about innovative teaching practices and materials, and promoting integration between regular and special…

At the same time that it is experiencing rapid growth, the field of adult education is struggling with its own maturation and development as a profession. One of the issues related to the professionalization of the adult education field is that of certification. Those who favor professional certification argue that it is a means to develop the…

Reviews the ERIC documents that examine teachers experiencing the writing process and that describe the format of workshop and inservice programs that seek to involve teachers in writing. (JL)

Included in this annotated bibliography of 11 publications on training and selecting principals are reports assessing various approaches and their relationship to school improvement. One article proposes a training model based on contingency theory. A sourcebook reviews hiring practice inadequacies and alternatives and recommends Hillsborough…

Since many senior academic administrators of colleges and universities first trained for academic careers in research and teaching, they have had minimal management training. Both academic and nonacademic officers with administrative experience find they must quickly develop the different knowledge and skills needed to manage an institution when…

A one-page introduction is followed by three pages containing summaries of three journal articles and two documents on teacher selection. Mary Cihak Jensen argues that final selection decisions should be based on multiple information sources, since teaching requires proficiency in many interrelated skills. Superintendent Richard J. Caliendo…

The relatively new phenomenon of using search committees is described as the result of state and federal legislation, a more participatory approach to college administration, and an enlarged pool of qualified candidates. Committee functions include recruiting and screening candidates, checking references, handling interviews, and making…

This digest provides an overview of basic family counseling concepts for counselors whose specialty is in an area other than marriage and family counseling. The author notes that there are two pivotal areas the counselor and client must address upon deciding to involve a family in the client's counseling sessions: how to get the family to come…

During the first half of the 1980s, the focus of the literacy movement was on strengthening literacy programs through the recruitment of volunteers. Although these early efforts are continuing, the focus in adult literacy has changed. Job-related or workplace literacy has become a national priority, and the impact of adult illiteracy on private…

This ERIC Digest is an overview of the process of recruiting and selecting principals. Criteria for selecting a principal should include problem analysis, organizational ability, decisiveness, effective communication skills, and stress tolerance, along with personal qualities such as dedication, creativity, and enthusiasm. Innovative steps that…

In concert with a rising interest in history education, there is concern about the quality of education and certification of history teachers. Many researchers, theorists, and specialists have weighed in on the issue of teacher preparation and certification. To what extent are history teachers prepared and certified to teach the discipline? This…

This digest discusses the assessment of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Topics addressed include: (1) the purpose of an assessment of children who are deaf or hard of hearing; (2) problems associated with assessment, including the diagnostician's lack of experience with the deaf population, communication problems, tests that are normed…

Issues and steps in the search process for both faculty and administrators are considered, based on a review of the higher education literature, selected literature from the corporate and industrial personnel field, and conversations with personnel practitioners and consultants. After discussing organizational tasks for the search committee and…

Being an effective vocational teacher today means having knowledge and/or experience in four areas: a specific skill area; instructional planning, implementation, and evaluation; classroom and laboratory management; and occupational experience. Tomorrow's vocational teachers will need to be competent in all of these areas, but they will also need…

This report discusses efforts in adult English as a Second Language (ESL) education to link language instruction to workforce and civic skills (skills needed for successful participation in the community). It looks at the social forces that underlie these efforts (shifts in the U.S. economy, welfare reform, accountability requirements, and learner…