Describes the Kentucky Staff/Industry Exchange Project designed to upgrade the knowledge and skills of vocational educators and industry personnel by exchanging jobs for a period of from one to four weeks. (CT)

Describes the "Industry Exploration Tour," which provides vocational educators with hands-on experience to learn the needs and wants of industry as they relate to preparing people for work. (Author/JOW)

Data from elementary and secondary principals and teachers identified six recommendations for improving school based professional development: (preparing an articulated mission; planning for professional development at the school and practitioner level; implementing the plan; providing broad support for professional development; building and…

Presents case studies of four exemplary Kentucky schools to illustrate characteristics of a statewide initiative designed to support standards based educational reform. The reform emphasized professional development, increased financial support for professional development, and used a decentralized model so that local needs influenced the types of…

This report examines the design and operation of efforts by several states that are implementing initiatives to improve low performing schools, drawing out lessons that could be applied in Tennessee. It focuses on why initiatives in Kentucky and North Carolina deserve attention; core ideas shaping Kentucky's and North Carolina's programs; what…

In December 1973, the Committee to Improve Performance of School Personnel was established. The task of the Committee was to create an effective system of improving professional performance which could be put into practice in any school situation in Kentucky, a system which could be utilized with all professional staff members whether they be…

A project was conducted to establish the validity of a procedure and set of instruments to facilitate a more systematic approach for the continued staff development of inservice secondary and postsecondary vocational instructors in three states (Kentucky, Virginia, and Wisconsin) with different delivery systems. The population consisted of a…

In 1986, the Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL) established a minigrant program to foster collaboration between K-12 schools and colleges of education. Between 1986 and 1991, AEL minigrants offered seed money for 63 college-school partnership projects in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. Prior to 1991, college-school…

This report presents the Prichard Committee recommendations on professional development of Kentucky teachers. They are based on the results of a steering committee of Kentucky educators and are being implemented in a Pew Charitable Trusts project. The overall finding was that for school reform to succeed in Kentucky, greatly enhanced professional…

This document provides a framework for the development of sustained and coordinated activities to support Kentucky teachers in learning the new roles and ways of teaching envisioned in the Kentucky Educational Reform Act. The report begins with a discussion of the context of reform, which is seen as consisting of two realities: new expectations…

To examine how Kentucky teachers perceive their needs and how to best meet those needs in the context of systemic reform, researchers examined teachers' plans for their own professional development. Data came from case studies of 21 Kentucky schools that were part of the Professional Development in the Service of Systemic Reform project and a…

The Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center is engaged in a continuing effort to understand implications of an array of trends and policies affecting the state. This report examines the status of Kentucky's teacher workforce and offers recommendations on ways to enhance it. The five chapters are: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Teacher…

A project conducted in four vocational regions of Kentucky developed a system for providing vocational teachers with relevant metrics education and developed and identified materials to support and enhance the system. Ten occupational training areas selected as a focus of the project were air conditioning, auto body, auto mechanics, diesel…