Rebuts proposals for educational reform advanced in the same issue by Robert L. Ebel. Accuses Ebel of offering insufficient evidence for his claims, of relying upon the indicators of productivity as if they were the means to increase productivity, and of failing to place responsibility for learning on the student. (Author/WD)

Proposes that state legislatures require all high school students to earn academic credit through unpaid community service to gain an instinct for public service. Considers the impact of such a program on student attitudes, anticipates possible objections, and makes recommendations for implementation. (Author/WD)

Reports conclusions reached from the observation of inservice education efforts in three states and a number of federal projects as well as from a review of the literature. Discusses six characteristics of effective inservice programs, the persistent problems that impede program success, effective practices, and future issues. (Author/WD)

Describes the formal partnership between the Ann Arbor (Michigan) School District and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, for the planning and implementation of an inservice training program that has evolved into a model for flexible staff development. (Author/WD)

The former director of the national Teacher Center Project outlines nine of the most widely recognized problems in the development of teacher centers across the U.S. He concludes that the centers have given teachers a sense of greater control over their inservice education. (Author/WD)

Reviews the successes and shortcomings of the University of Utah Graduate School of Education's partnership with three Utah school districts to establish seven school-based professional development centers. (Author/WD)

Presents ideas and strategies used by the Northwest Staff Development Center to attract and involve teachers and administrators in center activities. (Author)

At the end of each school year, Community Consolidated School District No. 146 in Tinley Park (Illinois) gives one-fourth of the district teachers and all of the district administrators 15 to 18 consecutive days of inservice training. Financial commitment, high quality, and stipends contribute to the program's success. (Author/WD)

Describes a two-week summer institute in Maine for practicing principals, sponsored jointly by two principals' associations, the University of Maine, and the state department of education. (WD)

Offers practical suggestions for teacher involvement in the planning of staff development programs. Teachers, as members of the staff development committee, should participate in identifying and ranking needs and designing a plan of action. (Author/WD)

Describes the Maryland State Department of Education's volunteer training program for principals and other instructional leaders in supervision and evaluation of instruction. The program has been offered through the Maryland Professional Development Academy since 1977. (Author/WD)

Compares many teacher inservice programs to the artificial insemination of cows--decisions are made without teacher participation, teachers do not get to join in the act, and no one has much fun. Suggests that teachers be allowed to set their own goals and control their own learning. (Author/WD)

Details the most important curriculum movements--which can be generally classified under the two headings of subject-centered curriculum and student-centered curriculum--their adherents, and their rationales. (Author/WD)

Explores the quiet demise of the Kalamazoo (Michigan) Public Schools' effort to institute a comprehensive evaluation system for teachers and administrators that was complemented by a merit pay plan. Reasons for the program's failure may include hasty planning and implementation and an overwhelming amount of paper work. (Author/WD)

Presents three of the most prominent myths about performance evaluation in the private sector and provides refuting documentation for each. Suggests implications for public schools. (Author/WD)