Critical trends and actions affecting the present and future state of inservice education are discussed. (CJ)

The ever-increasing importance of technology in the future of staff training programs is examined. Information access implies that children should begin to use computers in the early educational years. Technology may redefine the roles of teachers and cause drastic changes in the learning environment so that students will be able to acquire…

A discussion of the current practices in inservice education and staff development programs in schools focuses on: (1) the need of school districts to develop organizational models; (2) the content and delivery mechanisms of staff development programs; (3) incentives for teachers; and (4) sources of funding for staff development programs. (JN)

Staff development or inservice education has received increased emphasis in recent times as a result of: (1) a decline in staff mobility; (2) a sense of accountability; and (3) changes in societal expectations. The federal view is to deemphasize staff development as a federal priority. Several state inservice programs are described, and state…

Identifies the general characteristics of teacher centers that emerged from analysis of a survey of teachers involved in professional development through teacher centers. (RL)

A staff development program that conceptualizes the teacher as "executive," or manager of time factors, curriculum, and instruction would help teachers to deal with the complexities inherent in the modern elementary school classroom. (CJ)

The director of the Office of Staff Development of the California State Department of Education briefly reviews research on principals' and teachers' changing needs for in-service training and current California efforts in staff development, including the role of his own office. A list of office publications is appended. (SJL)

Discussion of the development of professional development software for special education teachers reviews the literature to (1) consolidate the database of literature regarding professional development software; (2) examine the degree to which the described software has been comprehensively evaluated; and (3) provide suggestions for future…

Reviews the literature on effective in-service teacher education. Discusses attributes of effective staff development, the need for comprehensive collaborative planning, reasons why staff development activities fail to affect classroom practices, and effective evaluation of staff development programs. Contains 21 references. (SV)

This article reviews the literature on preparing teachers to work with and supervise paraeducators in classrooms serving students at risk or with disabilities. Although considerable agreement was found on the content of such preparation, the review found that the number of researchers and developers in this area is currently small. (DB)

Responds to Jean Rudduck's argument that teachers should research their own practice. Maintains the teaching profession needs an autonomous body to accredit teacher education and to regulate curriculum content and assessment procedures. Encourages development of an action research approach to professional development and upgrading quality of…

Investigates the link between staff development and student achievement, examining studies that were published or accessed in ERIC and that used standardized achievement tests to evaluate students. The article reviews studies related to and different from Hunter's model, noting that statistical data do not support the link. (SM)

Reviews research on educational television (ETV), focusing on teacher and student attitudes; impact on children and teachers and in-service education in media; and utilization. Also reviews a few studies on the impact and utilization of educational radio broadcasts. Draws broad conclusions about the use, design, and learning process of ETV. (PEN)

This paper discusses roles of early childhood teachers in the context of a perspective which views the changes that have occurred in the education profession as surface changes only, and which suggests that teachers should not lose connections with the roots of their profession. The value of many past beliefs and practices has been confirmed by…

Inservice training and staff development for rural schools are complicated by limited access to advanced training programs, limited financial resources, and a high attrition rate among rural educators. One way in which rural schools and universities can collaboratively work to fill this void is through distance education, which can help rural…