The report presents information on current practices and issues in training direct care staff working in facilities serving developmentally disabled persons in Iowa and seven other states. The first section provides background information including purposes of the report and methods used to collect information. Section II is organized by four fundamental questions for policy makers. These are: (1) Who is to be taught? (2) What is to be taught? (3) How will staff be taught? and (4) How will training be paid for? Each question embraces issues identified in the review of Iowa and other state practices. A comparative analysis is made of the implications of and practices related to each issue discussed. Section III presents an in-depth review of current Iowa practices and profiles of the seven states (California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Montana, New York, North Dakota) with exemplary approaches to staff development. Finally, appendixes include information on the following: Iowa informants to the project, State policies and regulations for facilities and proposed training rules for community supervised apartments, Iowa state approved courses, Human Services Training Network, Iowa community college degree programs, Glenwood state hospital and school staff training program, and training standards from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitative Facilities and from the Accreditation Council for Services for Mentally Retarded and Other Developmentally Disabled Persons. (DB)