Guidelines for avoiding negative side effects of committee work include reasons for forming or not forming a committee, advantages and disadvantages of committees, and questions to help establish a committee in which members understand their role, task, and relationship to the administrator. (MJL)

This essay cites data on the magnitude of grade inflation and outlines problems perceived by the public and educators. Grade inflation is judged a social condition that damages educators' morale, students' motivation, and public confidence in education. Leadership from principals and teachers and the cooperation of colleges are urged. (MJL)

Recommendations for increasing participation of functionally illiterate adults in community education programs include decentralization of educational sites, availability of transportation and child care, and instruction stressing functional literacy and teaching reading and computation as tools for solving students' personal and social problems.…

The increased responsibilities of administrators provided under Public Law 94-142 for meeting the educational needs of the handicapped are summarized. Common sources of conflict between administrators and parents of handicapped students and potential communication blocks between parents and administrators are noted, followed by suggestions for…

A substitute teacher advises regular teachers to support effective substitute teaching by maintaining a seating chart, leaving detailed lesson plans, grading work done in their absence, and training students to sit quietly awaiting class. (MJL)

A sequential model is proposed for educating gifted students from elementary through high school. Operational assumptions of the program are listed and components of junior high school phases discussed. Such a program is recommended as differential, optional, and testable, and parts of the model have been tried successfully. (MJL)

A copyright infringement suit involving duplication of material for classroom use without permission or acknowledgement and related cases are discussed with reference to the fair use privilege, the Copyright Act of 1976, and congressional guidelines. Generally, fair use has been rejected as a blanket defense in classroom copying. (MJL)

In the first article a principal summarizes his implementation of a goal-setting program intended to improve teacher motivation and performance. The second essay outlines responsibilities for student councils that promote student leadership, advocate student interests, and provide publicity. Four characteristics of high academic achievers are…

One junior high school's discipline policies and guidelines for establishing similar regulations are offered in the first article. The second recommends transfers as a constructive solution to problems associated with an aging teaching staff and suggests procedures for a smooth change of assignment. (MJL)

The Systems Supervisory Model is presented to help principals improve their supervisory skills and instructional staff. (MD)

The elements of a good evaluation system are reviewed. It should be well planned, carefully implemented, reviewed annually by teachers and administrators, and have the support of all parties concerned. (MD)

A teaching style classification system that can aid in the evaluation of teachers is outlined. It allows the evaluator the use of systematic and orderly evaluation practices. (MD)

An effective teacher evaluation program geared toward instructional improvement is described. It includes frequent interaction between administrators and teachers and is participatory, diagnostic, and cooperative. (MD)

The author explains a school-specific lesson observation format that meets the specific needs of teachers and evaluators. The lesson observation components of teacher evaluation become a positive experience for both teachers and evaluators using this system. (MD)

In a research-based approach, the responsibilities involved in teacher evaluation, including unclear and conflicting areas, are reviewed. The author provides a set of six guidelines to consider when developing evaluation systems. (MD)