The effective supervisor is an expert communicator, leader, and motivator who works with the psychological aspects of the supervisors' social relationships with subordinates. A well-conceived training program must concentrate on expanding and refining these skills and would combine a broad educational background, formal and job-specific classroom training, and practical on-the-job training. Syllabi and attendance data for sergeant and lieutenant courses in the police departments of Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York were analyzed for three variables: number of instructional hours, topics of instruction, and number of students. There was interagency variation on the emphases of their courses, however, each included supervisory training as part of the developmental experience as well as agency-specific training. Once a clear job definition is developed, two possible teaching methods are transition panels and self-assessment instruments. 15 references.