Colleges and universities are being challenged to examine their mission, structure, and delivery of services for two reasons with far-reaching implications for cooperative education. The first is the move from an industrial to a postindustrial economy. The second deals with incorrect assumptions about learning based on outmoded information and…

This special issue of a quarterly newsletter describes a number of approaches to staff development in adult basic education and English-as-a-Second-Language programs being practiced in New York City. It includes an editorial about the necessity of making the resource commitment to provide full-time jobs and decent health coverage for staff.…

"The Practitioner" is subtitled "A Newsletter for the On-Line Administrator." This theme issue is devoted to recent developments in the teacher evaluation process. Contents include a review of research on teacher evaluation, an overview of legal requirements, and examples of outstanding teacher evaluation programs in six high schools. Thirteen…

This Bulletin investigates the role of the principal in fostering a school climate conducive to collegial supervision--teachers observing teachers and working together for instructional improvement. Chapter 1 attempts to put into perspective the traditional responsibilities of the principal as instructional leader and teacher evaluator. Collegial…

A well-conceived system of performance appraisal can indicate the conditions and circumstances motivating individual faculty members to improve their teaching. The performance appraisal system must be sensitive to the different ways in which faculty members fulfill their professional goals of teaching, research, and service. The system needs to…

The trend of student evaluation of college faculty performance is documented, and implications for humanization of the university are considered. Research in the area of teacher evaluation is cited, and it is proposed that reviews of the literature on student evaluations indicate by and large that student ratings are reliable and valid, even…

Research shows that introducing basic forms of algebraic reasoning in elementary school enhances children's learning of arithmetic. In this guide, a research and a professional development project are described that have taken a practical approach to introducing algebraic reasoning to elementary students in Massachusetts. (Author/SOE)

As reflective teaching has been a major concern in education with the movement for increased teacher professionalism and involvement in all aspects of school decision-making, the 10 articles in this volume address reflective practice in the social studies with an emphasis on how reflection and inquiry can contribute to both teacher and curriculum…

A number of states and school districts have taken the five factors of the "Effective Schools Formula" (strong leadership, high expectations of students, emphasis on basic skills, orderly environment, and frequent student evaluations) and applied them in school improvement programs. Some researchers and practitioners have reservations…

Reports from the National Commission on Excellence in Education, the Carnegie Commission, and recent survey responses from colleges and universities across the United States have verified suspicions about student inabilities to demonstrate acceptable levels of literacy skills. The first step toward achieving excellence is structuring, demanding,…

Eight essays are presented which reflect current problems, issues, and practices related to the development of teacher and administrator expertise. The authors are school district and public school administrators, faculty of schools of education, and a director of staff development in a state department of education. The topics treated are: (1)…

This document deals with the topic of the charter-school movement. Anne Turnbaugh Lockwood's article focuses on selected, key aspects of papers commissioned by the Comprehensive Center-Region VI from experts in the charter-school movement. It discusses the potential for enhanced teaching and learning in charter schools, management issues that can…

Recent statistics show that nationwide about 50 percent of new teachers leave the profession within their first six years of teaching. In an effort to encourage the persistence of new teachers and to enhance their productivity and competence in the classroom, many school districts have begun supportive programs for the beginning teacher, known as…

Some schools struggle to implement comprehensive school reform, whereas others succeed. The difference usually is that the successful schools use a combination of effective change strategies. This issue lists six strategies for change that can nearly guarantee success: (1) developing an atmosphere and context conducive to change; (2) developing…

Research on the effectiveness of specific strategies for faculty and instructional development at the college level is reviewedd, focusing on five delivery strategies: (1) workshops; (2) instructional consultation; (3) grants for instructional improvement; (4) colleague collaboration; and (5) print resources. In each case, the strategy is…