This report documents a process developed and used by the South-Eastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE) to guide 12 districts in Georgia through the planning and development of a school-improvement plan. Ultimately, a total of 35 schools successfully completed plans during the study. Each school developed a plan for school improvement to be…

Selected research studies useful for planning, conducting, and evaluating school staff development are reviewed, and a set of eight features common to the research is outlined. (MP)

Argues that teachers' individual differences contribute to the failure of many inservice workshops. Suggests ways by which consultants and staff developers can deal with differences and provide alternatives for more individualized instruction. (RL)

Research on adult learning suggests that direct and concrete experiences where the learner applies what is being learned are an essential ingredient for in-service education. Abstract, word-oriented talk sessions are not adequate to change behaviors. (Author/MLF)

Six National Education Association regional conferences for 1980 are described. The conferences present information for teachers on such topics as testing, mainstreaming, stress, discipline, public policy, professional development, multicultural/bilingual education, and class size. (RJG)

Aspects of the organizational contexts of schools and classrooms and various teacher psychological states are examined to explain variations in individual outcomes of staff development intended to improve teacher performance. A path model--based on theories of individual behavior and change within organizations--is presented and tested. (TJH)

Descriptions and implications of five stages of professional development of science teachers are provided. Behavioral characteristics for each stage are stressed. (CW)

Presents a chronology of the growth of the National Staff Development Council from 1969-94. Some information is provided to offer a broader context about the world that surrounded the council at each particular time. Information is also included on council affiliates, staff and board members, annual conferences, publications, and awards. (SM)

Examines research about the effectiveness of professional development. Procedural guidelines drawn from research on individual and organizational change provide a framework for developing the optimal mix of professional development processes and technologies for specific contexts at particular points in time. The potential impact of implementing…

Focuses on the staff development process and describes a project in which a group of teachers explored barriers to teachers' use of research-based practices when teaching reading comprehension. Ends with an invitation for other teachers to engage in a similar process and to communicate their stories. (MG)

The new kinds of teaching required to implement curriculum reforms like the California Curriculum Frameworks are incompletely defined and impossible to learn in quick-fix workshops. Teachers need to have "instructional conversations" with students that engage their interest, focus on a definite subject, and encourage full participation…

Influencing educational decision makers requires creating ongoing relationships, keeping everyone informed, and developing persuasive skills. Persuasion requires preparation, refinement, hard work, and a sound understanding of the people being lobbied. Lobbying must be factual and relevant to the audience. The article looks at influence from the…

Examines the future of staff development, noting its inadequacy due to prevailing concepts of teaching. The article traces changes in concepts of teachers and their work, outlines implications of change for future staff development, and describes experiences of one school district in redefining staff development as suggested by conceptual change.…

Describes the Pittsburgh Public Schools' efforts to institutionalize a shared decision-making model in secondary schools to provide more supportive educational and professional environments. The article examines the Schenly High School Teacher Center staff development program, noting that organizational development takes time and effort by the…

Asserts that an essential element in the school improvement process is the creation of a professional staff-development program. Outlines recent literature that offer guidelines for implementing these programs, and addresses program and participant evaluation. Contains 19 references. (VWC)