Researchers and practitioners need to exchange information in order for education research to become more useful. Practitioners need to develop more understanding of research and how to interpret its findings in light of local conditions. The What Works Clearinghouse, a project of the Institute for Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of…

Provides guidelines for meeting legal standards of fairness in teacher evaluation. (WD)

Teachers and administrators in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, received inservice training to prepare them for participation in a widely appreciated supervisory relationship that grants teachers professional respect and reserves formal evaluation for teachers who are clearly failing to meet objectives cited in their personal professional growth plans. (PGD)

Argues for a "zero-base" revision of school curricula in order to weed out poorly functioning components. Outlines procedures for carrying out such a revision at both the district and building levels. (WD)

Presents evaluation guidelines for educational software for educators with limited knowledge of computers. (MD)

The authors present a 20-item inventory for textbook selection designed to supplement the Fry Formula or the Raygor Estimate readability tests. The authors argue that a harmonious relationship should exist between the text, its author, its intended readers, and the instructor. (Author/PGD)

The best elementary schools celebrate individual differences among students. Mindful of the need for creative adaptation, this article summarizes qualitative indicators of effective schools, including happy environment, varied learning styles, mutual regard between children and adults, school readiness and enthusiasm, well-articulated mission,…

A teacher, responding to the commission and task force criticism of education, points out that for real educational improvement to take place, critics must communicate with teachers. (MD)

Presents four steps to follow in the process of evaluating incompetent teachers that will induce them to resign. (MD)

A recent Supreme Court decision on a First Amendment case involving a teacher in Texas illustrates how teachers' and other public employees' rights to freedom of speech face serious erosion. The problem is deciding whether grievances fall into the protected area of "public concern" or the unprotected area of a "purely private…

Outlines a successful reading program developed in Wakulla County, Florida, schools where the adult illiteracy rate was seriously high. The success of this program emphasizes three points: begin with detailed needs assessment, establish clear program goals, and provide continuous evaluation.(MD)

The author's personal experiences illustrate her comments on five factors that affect whether learning environments are positive or not. These factors involve student relationships with staff members, the clarity of disciplinary processes, justifications for rules, the presence of practices encouraging dishonesty, and respect for confidentiality…

Before schools and districts invest their scarce resources in the products that educational researchers have developed, teachers, administrators, and community members need to become informed consumers of educational research. This article strives to bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners by exploring how to become an informed…

Outlines the Intern-Intervention Program of Toledo, Ohio, that uses experienced teachers to train and evaluate both beginning teachers and experienced teachers with problems. (MD)

The application of an educational planning model designed for involving a representative sample of school patrons in decision making is described with reference to the case of Gilbert, Arizona. The article focuses on the first of the model's three phases: prioritizing goals, curriculum development, and program design and evaluation. (MJL)