Both the U.S. Department of Education and the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) believe that equal opportunity is a core American value. Equal access to excellent education provides meaningful opportunities for students to achieve their goals. Recognizing that family income and race often predicts a student's ability to access excellent…

This brief enhances recommendations and policy strategies from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) publication "Reading to Achieve: A Governor's Guide to Adolescent Literacy". It reflects lessons from recent research and best practices from states selected to receive NGA Center support to develop statewide…

SCANSLink (Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) is a statewide model for postsecondary faculty professional development in Texas. This article discusses SCANSLink's evolution into an Internet-accessible electronic newsletter and its design for viewer feedback and interaction though electronic mail and hypertext links. Focusing on…

This paper provides a rationale for the importance of new teacher induction. Data come from an examination of relevant studies and of local, national, and international induction practices. Successful induction practices (1) help new employees settle into their environment, (2) help them understand their responsibilities, and (3) ensure that the…

These guidelines help professional development chairs, administrators, and teachers collaboratively plan for the ongoing skill development and content acquisition of staff members. Section 1, "Missions, Mandates, and Regulations for Professional Development," describes the mission of professional development as supporting teachers in…

This issue brief, based on a meeting of a group of distinguished researchers, educators, and policymakers convened by the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) explores lessons from research and practice about the role of an intentional curriculum and professional development and supports for teachers in closing the achievement gap for…

While some proponents of testing rest their hopes for stronger learning on the expectation that tests alone will motivate students to work harder, most posit that better learning will result primarily from better teaching--due to curriculum changes, greater attention to student needs, stronger teacher motivation, or focused investments in…