| Purposes and Procedures of the Study. The purposes of the study were to provide a history of the staff development program called Current Trends and to provide the Current Trends Board of Directors with objective information for their decision-making. The study was conducted over a three-year period, beginning in June, 1982, and ending in August, 1984. The data used in the construct of the study came from a review of selected literature on Adult Education, previous Current Trends program schedules, structured interviews, personal materials and the files of Dr. Philip Vik, evaluations of the 1982 program, and coordinator reports from the 1983 and 1984 Current Trends programs.;Current Trends is a credit-generating seminar based on successful adult education practices. The Current Trends program has served over 4,000 South Dakota educators and based on attendance and evaluations has proven to be popular and well thought of by educators. Current Trends has provided the opportunity for South Dakota Educators to interact with nationally recognized educators, to learn about new educational innovations, and to learn from their peers about classroom techniques that work. Based on the study, the overall recommendation was that Current Trends should be continued.;Conclusions and Recommendations. Current Trends developed from a local inservice program to a statewide program primarily serving elementary teachers. The Current Trends programs studied were based on the perceived needs of educators. Educators who participated in Current Trends felt that the program did meet their needs and should be continued. The study provided information and recommendations on ten questions and issues facing the Current Trends Board of Directors. |
