The Simmons College Institute for Women in Educational Administration provides women with specific organizational and personal skills for professional advancement in school administration. Outcomes resulting from the program include: new skills in technical areas; knowledge of school organization; and an increased ability to assess personal goals.…

When New York State's standardized tests for third graders were scheduled to include questions on probability and statistics, the White Plains school system developed a model to improve mathematics instruction. A staff developer, a teacher with special training who works with other teachers, is vital to the implementation of the math curriculum.…

An understanding of adult learning principles will enable staff developers to select the most appropriate learning environment for participants. The purpose and sample activities of formal, informal, or non-formal learning environments are presented. (JD)

Staff development is evolving from an emphasis on skill development to shared experiences designed to modify the culture of a school. This includes attention to curriculum development, instructional strategies that can deliver the curriculum, school climate, and effective communication between staff aand community. (JD)

Educators involved in staff development share insights about changes in the field over 25 years, discussing staff development as a professional function, reflections from a founder of the National Staff Development Council, professional advances, staff development as a major force for educational change, and blending individual development with…

Describes the Albuquerque Public Schools'"Productive Management Training," a three-year program which helps supervisors of classified personnel (secretaries, custodians, educational assistants, paraprofessionals, food services personnel, maintenance employees) examine their current ways of working and explore new management…

Staff developers need to recognize management practices that interfere with the establishment of conditions necessary for professional growth, then seek alternative to those practices. The article describes 13 management myths and presents alternative actions that encourage viewing the school as a community of leaders. (SM)

The Florida Assisting Change in Education Program teaches school leaders to facilitate the change process in schools. Training for school improvement facilitators teaches them to lead groups, encourage discussion, mediate differences, and create appropriate spirit for crafting and implementing school improvement plans. Evaluation of the program…

Describes how an Alabama school system incorporated the National Staff Development Council's Standards for Staff Development into a district-wide effort to improve staff development. Evaluation of the professional development effort was a top priority, with participant input an important component. Professional development was designed to be…

The author, a private educational consultant in Michigan, traces the influence of early experiences, positive and negative role models, and various jobs on his career development. As a counselor and teacher trainer, he was particularly concerned with teacher burnout and stress. (PP)

A Teacher Corps project conducted by the Edgewood Independent School District and Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas) is described. A classroom teacher at each participating school is trained to lead professional development activities at his or her school. Teacher involvement in designing professional development at each school is emphasized.…

Presents five key ingredients for successful instructional improvement initiatives in districtwide programs (leadership density, knowledge of the literature, sense of priorities and realistic perspective on available energies and resources, development of a framework for teaching, and a teacher evaluation system complementary to the improvement of…

Provides a framework for enhancing personal and organizational growth through staff development programs. Nineteen guidelines for staff developers planning such programs for effective schools are presented. These guidelines are based on a sound understanding of organization development and factors that enhance school change. (SM)

Hanging in the entryway of Quakertown Community Senior High School in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, was the school vision: "Enter to Learn; Leave to Serve." The school vision statement contained the right words, but it did not inspire anyone. In many classrooms, teachers lectured from the front of the room, students sat in rows taking notes,…

The Greenwich, Connecticut, public school system is training teachers and administrators in the use of structured cooperative learning groups as part of a district-wide strategy to explore a variety of effective teaching practices. The cooperative learning program and its impact on teachers and students is described. (MT)