The correlation between teaching excellence and research efforts is investigated in a study done at the University of Maryland. Data suggest that productive faculty--as evidenced by their writings, addresses, and external funding--are among those identified by both their students and their professional colleagues as proficient instructors. (MLW)

Working together, the author, an educator, and a police training officer used their professional expertise to develop a curriculum for a program in report writing. The team approach enabled the author to teach elements of narrative style while the training officer concentrated on the application of these elements to specific kinds of police…

In order to examine the value of student evaluations of faculty, a survey of seniors regarding the quality of teaching they received in their four years of undergraduate college was undertaken. Topics include: the qualities of the best and worst teachers; preferred teaching methods; and faculty age, educational background, and department…

In a study to determine the relationship between teacher effectiveness and variables related to the organization and value patterns of different schools, teacher interns rated by principals as high or low could be distinguished on the basis of their instructional decision making within the different school contexts. (JMD)

The impact of two methods of individual instruction, guided reading and the learning center approach, on undergraduates in an educational psychology course is investigated. Objectives are (1) to determine which method is more effective in terms of cognitive gains, and (2) to compare attitudes toward the two methods. (JMD)

A new look at the standard lecture/discussion format for the large introductory college course is offered, along with suggestions to upgrade its quality. Foci for improvement include organization of lecture material, teacher-student interaction, lecture delivery, feedback, discussion group supervision, and course evaluation. (JMD)

A survey of procedures used to evaluate teacher education department faculty is reported. Results indicate that procedures for evaluating teacher effectiveness and criteria for advancement are not precise; student evaluation of teacher performance is widely used, although inadequate; and accreditation does affect evaluation procedures. (JMD)

In the class action suits that have been filed against universities alleging discrimination on the basis of sex in regard to faculty salaries, the task for the courts has revolved around reviewing statistical analyses as the determinant of the existence of actionable discrimination. (Author/MLW)

This report of the Task Force on Urban/Metropolitan Schools begins with several key assumptions. The Task Force, a creation of two higher education presidential associations, assumes, like No Child Left Behind, that all children in this country deserve a good education, no matter where their school is located. Furthermore, and this is a key…

A successful project at the University of South Carolina uses faculty as problem-solvers through peer observation. It causes faculty members to examine critically both teaching styles and teaching effectivene ss, and the project is cost-effective. (LBH)