Dozens of Australian "laptop" schools are following the lead of Methodist Ladies' College (an independent pre-K-12 school) in personal computing and are using some of their pioneering professional development models, including in-classroom collaboration, "slumber parties," and build-a-book workshops. Guidelines for implementing…

Evaluation of the Teaching and Learning Project Scheme at Southampton Institute (United Kingdom) examined the effectiveness of a scheme that released staff for limited periods of time for work concerned with teaching and learning. An internal, local evaluation methodology was used that involved questionnaires and interviews. The evaluation set the…

Describes a Learning Development Model developed by a Michigan school working to foster an evolving process of staff collaboration and curriculum integration. Supportive professional-development activities include staff-planned and -facilitated workshops, staff writing and sharing of learning activities, and local university partnerships requiring…

Research indicates that the most profound barriers to implementing portfolio assessments are time requirements and grading difficulties. Principals can help teachers by allowing released time for organizing meetings, developing curriculum, networking, and grading portfolios. Teachers also need recognition and storage/documentation materials and…

This policy paper focuses on religious challenges to the public school curriculum, specifically those involving claims that public schools are prompting "secular humanism"--an allegedly antitheistic creed that places human reason above divine guidance. While some courts have recognized that "secular humanism" may be considered…

This is a series of notes and comments about faculty professional development. Following a list of what inservice training should and should not be, the author details the responsibilities of the inservice coordinator, describes how to use a consultant, and notes the necessary commitment of the college administration. (DC)

Chapter 12 in a book on school law focuses on religious activities within the schools. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that bible reading and prayer recitations are not permissible. However, objective study of religion as history or literature or the study of comparative religions would be acceptable. The Court has given approval for excusal from…

During the 1973-74 school year, elementary and secondary students in Minneapolis were released from their classes every Tuesday at 2:00 to allow staff members to participate in staff development activities. A variety of different types of meetings were distributed throughout the 37-week schedule: building meetings, citywide meetings, curriculum…

Focusing on efforts to devise recruitment and teaching methods relevant to British industrial workers, an account is given of the day release time courses provided by the Sheffield University Extramural Department in association with trade unions and management among miners, steelworkers, and technologists in South Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, and…

Extracts of two background papers are presented: (1) The ILO (International Labour Organisation) Workers' Education Programme and (2) promotion of wider concepts of workers' education linked to other forms of education and education at the workplace. (CT)

The quality of the faculty, as measured by research and scholarship, is the single most important indicator of quality in doctoral education. A teaching assignment that is compatible with developing programs of research is one that includes both undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as thesis and dissertation advisement. (MLW)

Meeting teachers' differing training needs calls for an assortment of staff development strategies to be selected by the teachers themselves. Choices should include individualized education plans, short-term sabbaticals, substitute-teacher teams, teachers as instructors, peer coaching, teacher exchanges, released time, summer workshops, weekend…

Sustaining reform requires district leaders to develop a supportive infrastructure, nurture professional communities, reduce turnover, and use facilitators to build capacity. Bringing educators up to speed means providing abundant staff development, balancing pressure with support, providing adult learning time, and reducing fragmentation and…

Beyond no-establishment and free-exercise principles, widespread agreement now exists on many thorny church-state questions: school prayer, teaching about religion, Bible clubs, equal access, excusals, distribution of religious literature, religious holidays, creationism, released time, and character education. One issue, speaker versus audience…