This study examines the outcomes for teachers and the benefits reaped from a Connecticut beginning teacher induction program. Data were sought to determine whether the Connecticut State Department of Education's intent to improve the quality and value of first-year teaching through intensive, ongoing support by a mentor was being met. The method…

A teaching master at a community college in Central Ontario implemented a practicum designed to increase the rate of child-directed activities in early childhood education programs. The primary goal was to increase awareness of early childhood educators, parents, and board members regarding the benefits of child-directed activities at early…

Resident Supervisory Support for Teachers (RSST) is a peer supervision program designed to improve classroom instruction by training school personnel to use effective clinical supervision techniques. Participants are trained to help teachers identify strengths and improve their weaknesses. This final evaluation report provides information on the…

The director of a proprietary child care center implemented a practicum designed to train child caregivers in child development and developmentally appropriate practices. The practicum consisted of three evening workshops and used supplementary reading materials, discussion groups, classroom observations, and individual conferences. After…

The Baltimore County Public School system implemented the use of quality circles in its school improvement programs to facilitate change through increased involvement of faculty in decision making. The program increased the productivity and the motivation of the staff in their efforts to strive toward excellence. This paper describes the program…

A survey of 65 principals in the Newark (New Jersey) school system elicited their perceptions of the effectiveness of the Newark Teacher Center, in terms of its value to the principals themselves as well as to the teachers. The principals were asked to indicate the degree of agreement or disagreement on 22 items. The highest agreement was with the…

In response to a request from the Department of Staff Development in Montgomery County, Maryland, an assessment was conducted of the county's Teacher Competency (TC) Program. The evaluation sought to determine the degree to which this inservice teacher training program addresses the factors identified in recent literature as promoting effective…

Papers presented at a conference on major inservice issues are reprinted along with summaries of discussions following the presentations. A decription is given by C.B. Garrison of the Arkansas Program for Effective Teaching, which exemplifies an inservice program wherein all districts in one state are using one highly structured, research-based…

This collection of 16 essays is ideal for staff development providers (university faculty, district supervisors, lead teachers, and principals) as well as preservice science methods instructors. Each essay describes a specific program designed to train current or future teachers to carry out the constructivist, inquiry-based approach of the…

During 1997-98, a research team from the University of Leeds investigated the effectiveness of teacher resource centers (TRCs) as a strategy for teacher development in developing nations. The study included a literature review and fieldwork in four countries (India, Kenya, Nepal, and Zambia). The study examined the extent to which TRCs helped…

Inservice teachers should rely more on their personal resources and on those of their colleagues than on over-generalized inservice programs designed by administrators, colleges and universities, and state education agencies. (MB)

This study examined the effectiveness of an inservice elementary health education training. Pretesting and posttesting of teachers who did and did not participate indicated that intervention participants scored significantly higher on efficacy and outcome expectations subscales, taught more hours of health, and put more effort into specific health…

Profiles the Texas School Teacher Exchange Program (STEP) and presents research results evaluating its effectiveness. Respondents rated statements about the program on a Likert scale. Results showed conclusively that the program is valued highly by the participants with few reservations. (MJP)

Professional development in education has recently undergone rapid change. A few years ago, most teachers did not have a voice in the types of sessions they attended or the opportunity to connect what they learned to their classrooms. Most sessions were at an awareness level only with no follow-up. All that has changed. The move toward greater…

Collaboration for some English teachers has proved to be the key to effective professional development. Teachers working together on evaluating the effectiveness of a writing workshop in the high school classroom have helped them gain knowledge about their beliefs and practices.