Studies about how schools improve indicate that the process of improvement happens simultaneously on two levels: the individual teacher level and the level of the school as an organization. Staff development, networking, and problem-centered activities are current approaches found promising for school improvement. (Author/MLF)

Curriculum developers are urged to lead teachers in an effort to foster such goals for students as positive self-concepts and emotional adjustment, as well as academic achievement. (GW)

Teachers are encouraged to adapt their instructional programs to learners' cognitive styles, whether global or analytic. (GW)

Describes how North Carolina educators cooperated to build a system of teacher-performance appraisal. To build the program, educators derived basic teaching functions from literature and observed teachers to gather performance data. Training is now provided to districts, and information about effective teaching is disseminated throughout the…

Research identifies two interrelated memories--one that retains facts and symbols and one that retains motor and problem-solving skills. These and other findings challenge educators to determine what students should memorize, to help them move from random memorization to creating useful concepts, and to teach students to use memory in problem…

Interviews an administration department chair at University of Illinois, who is also a staff evaluation consultant and author. Discusses reservations about evaluation rating scales and state-mandated systems. Although broader criteria are needed, linking staff development to evaluation involves teachers in goal setting and promotes understanding…

Recent advances in theory and research provide a basis for defining higher-order thinking skills and for designing tests of such skills. (MCG)

Knowing what you need in a textbook is the first step in adopting one. This article gives tips on how to review the current research in a subject area before assessing needs. A list of four references is provided. (DCS)

The research on identifying and educating gifted youth supports the use of multiple identification measures, accelerated instruction, and ability grouping. (Author/TE)

In a response to the previous article questioning the effectiveness of Assertive Discipline, it is maintained that the decision to implement a program should be based on many factors in addition to research, and that from a practitioner's standpoint, Assertive Discipline works. (Author/TE)

Based on research of teacher effectiveness, the Florida Performance Measurement System features formative and summative evaluation instruments comprised of wide-ranging concepts and indicators. Trained principals and supervisors observe and code behaviors for comparative evaluation. Florida districts and colleges make extensive use of the system…

Describes Research In Teacher Education (RITE), a staff development model that uses school district staff to train teachers and that identifies effective teaching and staff development practices. Information is presented on the model's characteristics and implementation, research contributing to the model, a field test, and San Diego's adoption of…

Article asks whether research has failed the educational system, and whether money spent for research been spent for nothing. (ML)

Medical research during the last 20 years, especially that attempting to help patients with diseased or damaged brains, has produced new findings on hemispheric differences, memory, and language production. Four authorities comment briefly on the implications of this research for education. (Author/MLF)

The Annehurst Curriculum Classification System (ACCS) identifies curriculum materials compatible with student learning characteristics. The development of the ACCS and its use in Annehurst School in Westerville (Ohio) are described. The system originator explains how schools are using it and what researchers have discovered about the quality of…