This paper discusses current and future research on alternative supervisory approaches matched to developmental levels of teachers. The two major questions for research were: (1) Is there an interaction between individual characteristics of teachers and supervisory approach with regard to preference and performance? and (2) Can supervisors acquire…

To meet the growth and achievement needs of teachers and to build career commitments among teachers, school administrators need to understand what influences the internal work motivation of classroom teachers and to adjust their supervisory styles to meet those needs. Accordingly, after an extensive review of the literature on adult learning, this…

Instructional leadership is long-term dedication to instructional excellence that includes both instructional and school management issues. Recent research suggests that effective principals can make a significant difference in their schools' instructional programs through a combination of personal traits, particularly a strong belief in their…

This casebook, developed in collaboration with 22 mentor teachers in the Los Angeles (California) Unified School District, provides illustrative vignettes, written by the mentor teachers themselves, of their work with first-year teachers. The vignettes describe the circumstances of each event, its consequences, and the ongoing thoughts and…

The largest departments of chemistry, education, and psychology in the United States were surveyed to determine what formal and informal structures they have in place for selecting, preparing, and supervising teaching assistants (TAs) for their teaching responsibilities. Responses were received from each of the 97 departments surveyed. All…

Perceptions about career ladders were studied in 254 pre-service and in-service teachers from two southern states at five different levels of socialization in their professional life: (1) 118 were students taking an entry-level course in teacher education; (2) 44 were senior students before student teaching; (3) 40 were senior students after…

A survey was conducted to assemble information from the 50 state departments of education about existing policies on master teachers. Master teachers in this survey included those assigned to supervise student teachers as well as those who may have been chosen for outstanding performance. Items on the survey were: (1) state policies on selecting…

High quality instructional supervision can be provided when educational objectives have been stated clearly and a strong staff development program has been instituted. The success of the staff development program used in the Newport News (Virginia) Public Schools is dependent on several prerequisites: the existence of clearly established district…

The aims of this symposium are to examine and discuss critically the findings of a major survey of practices in instructional supervision. Data from over 1,000 teachers and their supervisors in central Pennsylvania were compiled, and findings are reported in four sections. The first section is an introduction focusing on the theoretical…

A Clinical Supervision Training Program was designed for department coordinators for mathematics, science, English, and social studies in four high schools. The program lasted throughout the school year, and included three full-day and one half-day workshops as well as four small group meetings. At the first workshop, the program was introduced,…

The role of principal as supervisor and evaluator of teachers is central to instructional leadership, and this means direct involvement through classroom observation and interaction with each teacher. Principals often neglect this role, with lack of time usually given as the reason. There are other reasons: Interacting with teachers about their…

This is the fourth in a series of four booklets describing the Child Development Associate (CDA) Project at the California State College in Pennsylvania, one of the 13 original CDA pilot programs. Topics covered in this booklet include: a rationale for teacher trainer programs; a review of research on the importance of teacher interpersonal…

Because the use of clinical supervision methods by administrators in their evaluation and supervision of teachers has been linked to instructional improvement, administrators' perceptions about the implementation of clinical supervisory practices were surveyed. Participants in the study were 412 school district administrators and supervisors who…

A three-part method of teacher supervision is based on a developmental approach to early education. The method assumes that children learn by interacting with their environment and respond to the educational environment differently, according to their individual backgrounds, temperaments, and learning styles. An observational record, written by a…

Forty college and university directors of field experiences (from 40 different states) responded to a survey on their payment practices for cooperating teachers. A wide variety of payment practices exists among the states, ranging from no payment, tuition waivers, to various amounts of money. Most directors indicated that their system of payment…