This document summarizes the results of research on reform of state and national policy affecting families and children. The document begins with a rationale for change, and follows with four chapters that identify barriers stemming from attitudes, system organization, resource limitations, and technical problems. Each chapter suggests strategies…

Studies of teacher satisfaction and workplace conditions generally have focused on the level of the profession or the school site, not on the smaller units within a school or the variations of the work environment within them. This study addresses three limitations of previous research. First, it introduces a theoretical perspective on the…

Strategies for teacher selection, recruitment, and retention are summarized in this report, which is based on results of a national survey of trends, practices, and opinions of school administrators. Thirteen chapters are contained in three sections, which deal specifically with the teacher selection, recruitment, and retention processes. The…

The learning gap between high school students in the United States and those in many other countries has several causes. First, U.S. students devote a lot less time and interest to learning. A second major reason is parental and school board apathy. Cultural comparisons reveal a lack of incentives for learning accomplishment in the United States,…

This Senate bill would initiate a variety of measures aimed at improving the recruitment, retention, and professional development of qualified elementary and secondary school teachers. It focuses these efforts particularly where acute teacher shortages have been identified, including shortages of minority teachers, teachers for limited English…

This document contains the text of proposed House bills--"The Augustus F. Hawkins Early Childhood and Elementary Teacher Preparation and Retraining Act of 1990" (H.R. 3909) and "The Twenty-First Century Teacher Act" (H.R. 4130)--and the complete transcript of the hearings on "The Twenty-First Century Teachers Act"…

Economic self-sufficiency is the key to reviving and maintaining a strong Indian culture; therefore, the goal of the Passamaquoddy Enterprise Zone Project was to develop an understanding of the types of business that do well in the area and those that do not do well. The study used interviews with business managers as well as case studies of 12…

A study examined the effects of a mandatory participation requirement on participant attitude toward and subsequent progress in a professional development program. Eight of the 24 schools in the Arkansas postsecondary vocational-technical school system were selected for the study. Participation in a professional development program was mandatory…

Information on 28 programs supported by the Office of Higher Education Programs and three programs of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) are provided. In addition to a brief statement of the scope of each program, information is provided on eligibility, the budget and average award amount, and where to write for more…

This document reports on a study of the implementation of new teacher evaluation procedures as part of a consultant-designed teacher incentive plan in three elementary schols. The study focused on the impact of this effort on the role-related interests (job satisfactions and needs) of teachers and administrators. Teachers' role-related interests…

Experiences with faculty early retirement programs at three public universities are described. The universities range in size from 11,000 to 33,000 full-time equivalent students with 650 to more than 3,000 faculty members. Attention is directed to: goals of each of the institutions in establishing the program, characteristics of individual…

Teacher incentive systems enable school districts to address the current concerns of their constituencies: teachers' concern with salaries, administrators' concern for attracting good people into the teaching profession, and community concern that increased expenditures for teacher salaries have not improved education. Accordingly, this handbook…

In response to the shortage of mathematics and science teachers in Washington, this state's legislature developed a program to provide loans for students preparing to teach secondary-level mathematics or science in Washington public schools. The rationale was that these loans would encourage students majoring in mathematics or science to prepare…

As part of a study of the Vocational Education Act (VEA) (see note), equity provisions were examined and the adequacy of incentives, oversight mechanisms, and sanctions in the VEA was addressed. Three areas of equity were studied: federal civil rights laws and regulations; provision of funds in the VEA to help recipients meet their civil rights…

The literature relating to instructional improvement since 1978 is examined. After a review of implications of recent learning theories, it is concluded that theorists agree generally that: learning is enhanced when the student is active rather than passive; learning is improved by practice and feedback; learning is improved when directed toward…