The agencies surveyed influence faculty to improve their instruction through workshops, seminars, courses, newsletters, other publications, and individual consultations. Unfortunately, the agencies view their role as service-oriented and take a passive approach to instructional improvement. (Editor/PG)

This rating sheet, for both course and instructor, works on a 5-point scale: (1) strongly agree; (2) agree; (3) no opinion; (4) disagree; (5) strongly disagree. The intent of the evaluation is improvement of instruction, not criticism of the instructor. The course is judged by the relevancy of the textbook, the extent to which it fulfills its…

The Doctor of Arts degree has aroused interest both as a means to improve the graduate preparation of college teachers and as an alternative to the research orientation attributed to the Ph.D. degree. The Association of American Colleges therefore appointed a special committee to advise its Commission on Institutional Affairs on the implications…

This report comprises a collection of summaries of exploratory efforts by college professors at member institutions of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) to develop new and better ways of teaching. Usually these are local experiments aimed at improving the conditions for learning in a specific subject-matter area, but many of the…

The West Tennessee Research Development Consortium was formed to increase research potential of Freed-Hardeman College at Henderson and Lane College at Jackson. The Consortium consisted of a proposal and project designed (1) to train in research methodology 1 person on each of the 2 campuses, and (2) to offer concurrently an in-service training…

The excellence of a school lies in the way it directs itself--particularly its professional staff--to improve performance. To meet its obligation to be ever self-improving, the faculty should focus on studying students, creating tailored learning experiences, evaluating long-term school effects, and encouraging diversity. (PGD)

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…

Schools and districts rarely have a fair distribution of teacher talent. Poor children and black children are less likely to be taught by the strongest teachers and more likely to be taught by the weakest. Several districts have implemented programs to reduce the teacher quality gap. Hamilton County, Tennessee, launched an initiative that included…

In this article, the authors describe how the quest for continual growth has taken its root at Vestal Central School district. Located at the heart of upstate New York, educators at Vestal Central School district have created a spirit of "kaizen," a Japanese word meaning the relentless quest for continual improvement and higher-quality…

A 12-point program for improving the teaching profession is offered as a means to improve New York's schools. The recommendations contained in this document call for the state government to establish basic goals, standards, and guidelines for the teaching profession. However, local discretion and control are viewed as important elements in several…

This project began as a united effort by Georgia Southern College, Savannah State College, Armstrong State College, Augusta College, and Middle Georgia College, all located within 100 miles of the headquarters at Statesboro. The project was designed to improve teacher education programs by making research an integral part of the work, assisting…

There is widespread concern at the present time that serious attention should be given to the practical problems of assessing teaching in the universities. In this monograph, although extensive reference is made to theoretical studies and empirical investigations, the concern is more immediate and practical. Two major questions are the guidelines…

This bibliography was compiled with the purpose of acquainting those interested in the improvement of teaching in higher education with various relevant sources. The bibliography is divided into four sections. The first section is concerned with sources relevant to instruction at all levels and thus lists publications dealing with theory and…

This document is the first annual report of the Center for the Teaching Professions at Northwestern University. The specific objectives of the Center that were proposed to the sponsoring agency, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, are: (1) to improve the teaching of prospective teachers and present members of the faculty in a variety of fields at…