In recent decades, several novel approaches to teacher preparation have emerged to challenge the dominance of university-based programs. Included in those approaches are two well-publicized, but little-researched phenomena: new graduate schools of education (nGSEs) and fully online teacher preparation. Drawing on data generated from a…

Going green? For many, this phrase has a definitive ending, such as an "!" or a strong "." For the authors, the journey began with the questions: (1) What should students be "learning" about sustainability?; and (2) How do we know that they "are" learning? Their journey to understand the relationship between student learning and sustainability…

This paper presents some of the major issues raised in Education International's preliminary analysis of the overall PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) 2009 study. Some of these issues are: (1) PISA has serious limitations. The study does not cover the full curriculum, focusing on a narrow set of subject areas, neglecting such…

Although priding itself on high rates of literacy achievement, New Zealand's track record in the last two decades has noticeably declined. Successive New Zealand governments have invested heavily in trying to redress this decline with limited success. Demographic changes in population due to immigration provide a partial explanation, but arguably,…

This guide to implementation is intended to support the Japanese Language and Culture 10-3Y, 20-3Y, 30-3Y Program of Studies. It was developed primarily for teachers, yet it includes information that may be useful for administrators and other stakeholders in their efforts to plan for and implement the new Japanese program of studies. Familiarity…

Portfolios have been employed for years as evidence of many abilities (e.g., one's best drawings, one's teaching ability). The portfolio allows the individual the opportunity to demonstrate not only his/her best work, but improvement in his/her work. The chair of the Psychology Department at Shenandoah College initiated a portfolio program as a…

Describes a program of the Graduate College at Iowa State University that features an "English examiner" who screens incoming students for writing ability. (FL)

Describes the Comprehensive Social Studies Assessment Project (CSSAP), a collaborative effort by 23 states aiming to develop assessments for upper elementary, middle, and high school students in history, geography, civics, and economics. Explains that CSSAP aims to initiate a professional development program, implement a portfolio assessment, and…

Describes the Chicago Field Studies Program (Illinois) and its success in teaching social theory to students engaged in participant-observation. Explains how to integrate participant-observation into introductory sociology courses as a way to foster students' understanding of social theory using the students' personal experiences. (CMK)

Describes the Fairfield High School Chamber Music Honors Program for students in grades nine through twelve in Fairfield (Connecticut). Explains that the program's goal is to provide students with a positive experience in chamber music. Highlights the creation and the first two years of the program. (CMK)

Although successful by some standards, the basic writing program at Ball State University, Indiana, was altered over a period of several years because it was making incompatible demands on teachers and students alike. Public perception of the course allowed teachers some flexibility in writing instruction, but it demanded instruction in grammar…

Discusses perspectives on teaching foreign languages, describing four models of instruction. Proposes the formulation of minimum requirements and the use of textbooks and handbooks for working with different models of instruction. Considers the problems to be addressed, such as developing a methodology for teaching in primary schools and teaching…

Describes various collaborative programs between community arts organizations and schools that provide long-range talent development. Considers the aspects of identifying artistic talent within the arts. Addresses artistic underpinnings, perceptual discrimination, metaperception, creative interpretation, student commitment, the procedures, the…

Describes Project ARTS (Arts for Rural Teachers and Students), a 3-year community-based research and development program for students with high interest and abilities in the performing and visual arts. Focuses on the project's curriculum and assessment. Addresses the applicability of the program to other rural areas. (CMK)

Relates the founding of the Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) Project and addresses comprehensive musicianship. Describes the five parts (selection, outcomes, strategies, analysis, and assessment) of the Wisconsin CMP model. Provides an example of how the model works for a specific composition. (CMK)