This collection of papers focuses on what is known and practiced in professional development. Part 1, "The Purposes of Professional Development," includes (1) "Educational Purposes and Teacher Development" (Maxine Greene); (2) "Going Public: The Imperative of Public Education in the 21st Century" (Carl D. Glickman and…

Traditional objections to student involvement and recent research supporting the validity of student comments are explored. The value of student comments depends upon asking appropriate questions: deciding what should be asked, what form the questions and results should take, and what use should be made of the information. (Author/MLW)

Illinois, in partnership with the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, is transforming its teacher preparation and training sequence into a strong teacher development system that will result in improved teacher recruitment, preparation, induction, certification, professional development, and retirement. This paper outlines the…

Methods of teacher evaluation in public school districts in Ohio were studied in a 272-district sample. Comparison of data with seven theoretical models from the literature on teacher evaluation indicates that 84 percent of responding districts use a traditional Trait Model (teaching in terms of traits) to evaluate the teacher. (SLD)

While the concept of the teaching portfolio is variously defined, portfolios generally provide the opportunity to display teaching abilities and accomplishments, as well as reflect on one's teaching. In using teaching portfolios, the departmental chairperson must create a climate in which faculty understand that putting together a portfolio will…

Self-evaluation is becoming an essential component of both formative and summative teacher evaluation systems. This paper defines self-evaluation as the process of judging one's own performance for purposes of self-improvement. Teachers use both formal and informal methods to assess their students' classroom performance; however, when they attend…

A model for preservice and inservice teacher self-assessment, which fosters improved performance, is divided into two phases. Phase 1 begins at the preservice level, and phase 2 is carried out during the time the teacher is under contract in a school setting. During phase 1, the teacher candidate explores the answers to three questions in…

This study was commissioned by the State of Iowa to identify the current status and applicability of performance-based teacher compensation plans. After a review of the literature to establish the current status of merit pay and to identify districts throughout the United States that are presently using performance-based compensation plans, a…

The dismissal of public school teachers in Oregon is governed by the Fair Dismissal Law. The statutory requirements of the law involve (1) a notice from the superintendent of intent to dismiss, (2) school board approval of dismissal, (3) the teacher's right to appeal to the Fair Dismissal Appeals Board (FDAB), and (4) the school board's and…

This brochure provides brief descriptions of 11 recent documents and journal articles selected from the ERIC database by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management (University of Oregon), all on the broad topic of teacher collegiality. The works reviewed are as follows: "A New Model for Professionalizing Teacher Evaluation," by…

An expansion of suggestions provided to beginning graduate students who plan to function as teaching assistants is presented. Suggestions fall into the major categories of: advice from over 100 beginning teachers who just finished their first year of teaching; needed information at the beginning of the teaching term; shifting pre-lesson overviews…

The Collegial Evaluation Program leads to improved teaching by systematizing a way for teachers to obtain frequent, focused feedback from themselves, their students, and their colleagues. The process can be used by a single pair of teachers, a teaching team, a department, or an entire faculty. The purpose of this manual is to introduce the idea of…

This guide provides assistance to New Mexico school districts in implementing a state-sponsored teacher performance evaluation plan (Provision III of the New Mexico Staff Accountability Plan, adopted by the State Board of Education). This plan involves five basic procedures: (1) determine specific definitions of the six essential teaching…

The article outlines foreign language goals, identifying specific linguistic aims and indicating major factors responsible for student incompetency in language skills. The teacher shortage, the frequent lack of program coordination and articulation, professional disunity, and time limitations are briefly discussed. The need for paying more serious…

A study designed to examine several student and instructor characteristics to see what relationship each had with student ratings of their instructors concentrated on such variables as (1) student sex, age, major, level of education, grade point average, or course grades previously received from the instructor in relation to student ratings of…