Behind a simple equation, 2 + 2, lies a rich yet realistic approach to enhancing teaching and learning. As this book demonstrates, the current method of job appraisal consists of sporadic classroom visits from school administrators that frequently serve to reinforce teacher isolation rather than promote professional development. In contrast, the 2…

The QUILT (Questioning and Understanding to Improve Learning and Thinking) program tested the hypothesis that well-designed staff development would positively affect teachers and students. QUILT increased and sustained teacher use of classroom questioning techniques to produce higher levels of student learning and thinking. QUILT participants…

Describes a study in an urban English district that investigated the impact of a series of three linked INSET programs to help mainstream secondary teachers meet the needs of developing bilingual students through whole-class teaching methods and school policies. Interviews with key participants indicated that the programs were reasonably…

Research on the effectiveness of specific strategies for faculty and instructional development at the college level is reviewedd, focusing on five delivery strategies: (1) workshops; (2) instructional consultation; (3) grants for instructional improvement; (4) colleague collaboration; and (5) print resources. In each case, the strategy is…

The Pennsylvania Adult Literacy Practitioner Inquiry Network (PALPIN) was developed to improve the practice of adult literacy teachers, tutors, and program administrators throughout Pennsylvania. The project to develop PALPIN was initiated in 1995-1996. The primary objectives for the PALPIN project's third program year were as follows: adapt and…

Intended for administrators and policy makers as well as teachers, this digest explores the components common to effective writing programs. The digest first discusses activities at the classroom level as the foundation of a successful writing program and elements that should be included in classroom instruction, such as the process approach to…

This document reports the findings of an evaluation of the Family Day Care Training and Accreditation Program, a voluntary program for family day care providers in San Antonio, Texas. The program consisted of eight training workshops, home visits, and a validation. Workshop topics included: space to play and learn, health and safety, growth and…

The background of teaching science in secondary schools in Papua New Guinea is described in order to familiarize readers with the situation at Goroka Teachers' College (GTC) in the early 1980s where it was necessary to attempt to increase educational standards in science. Goroka Teachers' College was the main source of science teachers for…

This paper reports the results of a mailed survey of beginning and mentor teachers who participated in the Wisconsin-Whitewater Beginning Teacher Assistance Program (BTAP) between 1988 and 1999, a university-based mentoring program for K-12 teachers. The program features graduate credit for required mentor training and beginning teacher…

Teacher training for Guyanese secondary science teachers in a school of education was compared with a distance-taught program by a variety of criteria: supervisor scoring using the Guyanese Ministry of Education's rating scale in classroom observation; self-ratings pupil ratings; and ratings by head teachers in schools having graduates of both…

Studied collegial interactions of four Canadian elementary teachers and their partners participating in the Supervision for Growth program to determine the effects of collegiality on teachers' work. Using field notes and interview transcripts, found that the quality and quantity of collegial interactions covered a broad spectrum and that the…

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is now a cornerstone of education policy in the UK and elsewhere. If policy aspirations translate successfully into practice, then (funded) CPD opportunities will abound and teachers will be 'developed' in a logical and structured way from the moment they enter the profession until retirement. As a result…

Harriet Bishop (HB) Elementary School opened in 1996 with an articulated educational model developed collaboratively by the teachers, parents, and the administration. The model includes a mission, set of beliefs, and rationale for the instructional design. While nearly every school district or school has a formal mission, the statements…

The author, who is Director and Deputy Head Teacher of a newly established Department for Education and Skills training school, examines the origins of the successful bid for training school status, the proposed changes to professional practice and informed discourse, and the enhanced expertise which it will bring to all involved, and how already…

Faculty and staff development (FSD) programs in the California community colleges currently receive funding under the California Assembly Bill (AB) 1725, which has distributed approximately $5 million each year since 1989 to districts on an enrollment-based formula. A study was conducted which surveyed FSD programs statewide to assess program…