Integrated portfolios can establish accountability for novice teachers and support professional development for novice and experienced teachers. Comprehensive portfolios for evaluating novices and critical incident portfolios for evaluating experienced teachers are described, and procedures for their review are discussed. Illustrations of their…

Attitudes of 81 principals in 4 urban school districts were surveyed to determine the importance they placed on common criteria for teacher selection, perceptions of the assessability of these criteria, and relationships between importance and assessability. High levels of agreement about criteria are discussed. (SLD)

Teachers (n=109) from a Texas school district participated in a study of teachers' perceptions of a postobservation evaluation conference with respect to the purpose, process, environment, and factors influencing the conference. Teachers also made recommendations for keeping the postobservation conference meaningful and constructive. Responses…

A combination of total quality management and transformational leadership is necessary for successful change in organizations. Data about the thinking and problem solving of nine secondary school principals in Ontario (Canada) demonstrate that one principal displayed high levels of expert thinking and transformational leadership, meeting the…

Relationships between organizational effectiveness and the effectiveness of organization leaders were studied for 112 elementary school principals in Alberta (Canada) who rated effectiveness on 38 organizational and 29 leadership criteria. Results support a close relationship between the two constructs and highlight the complexity of educational…

Among constraints to achieving their vision perceived by 10 deans/directors of continuing education in Canada were staff resistance to change, the Pareto principle (80% of the work done by 20% of the staff), little staff understanding of the "university," and staff fear of marginality. (SK)

Interviews with 45 priests/ministers identified 6 career development themes: control, burnout, role confusion, isolation, mixed messages, and inadequate seminary preparation. Professional continuing education for clergy requires collaborative involvement of seminaries, church headquarters, and congregations to alleviate the apparent crisis of…

Explores the history of university extension in Canada from the mid-nineteenth century through the growth of the adult education movement in the 1950s and 1960s, change of the Canadian Association of Directors of Extension and Summer Schools into the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education in 1974, to the challenges of the 1980s…

This article examines East Asian societies' response to students who are gifted academically or talented in the arts, music, or sports, focusing on educational practices in China, Taiwan, and Japan. The study concludes that establishment of gifted education programs is not determined by economic development level or school quality but by the…

A survey of parents (n=844) of school-age children and parents (n=297) of gifted/talented children found strong public support for programs addressing special needs of gifted/talented students, especially if those programs do not reduce services to average or slow learners. (JDD)

Two studies revealed differences between junior-high gifted and average ability students on the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, with the average students indicating more anxiety. Gender differences were also exhibited, with girls scoring higher than boys in motivation, study aids, and self-testing. (Author/JDD)

Analysis of studies on predictors of people's attitudes toward gifted education reveals that about 50 variables have been examined as potential sources of differences, but not a single variable emerges as a substantial explanatory factor. Major methodological problems in the studies are identified and proposals for future research are offered.…

This study comparing 70 gifted children (ages 5-14) with 2 control groups revealed that emotional problems were not the result of gifted ability per se but of other disturbing matters such as others' expectations or family conflict. Academic underachievement was related to self-concept; gifted children's greater sensitivity was usually…

This interview with Jeffrey Borer, who directs cardiovascular research at Cornell Medical College, addresses his research interests, the status of research compared to practice, ways to meet educational needs of students with science talent, the role of contests and mentors, and the importance of exposing children to many types of learning…

Non-Natives (or immigrants) wrongly adopt aspects of Native ceremonies out of ignorance and misunderstanding, a tendency to romanticize Native culture, and a desire to connect with the land. Non-Native outdoor educators should examine their own cultural traditions, develop new ceremonies, and learn from Native elders those Native cultural aspects…