Professional development schools (PDSs) were developed to provide a new model for teacher education that enables graduate students to have meaningful classroom experiences while they earn their degrees. This digest describes some of the ways that PDSs can improve the school experiences of urban students. It also describes some of the pitfalls of…

To transform and revitalize education and to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to instruct and prepare all American students for the next century, teacher education and professional development have been designated as one of the National Education Goals (added to the original six in 1994). The goal suggests that practicing teachers are key…

Three major purposes have been proposed for Professional Development Schools: (1) to improve education of prospective and practicing teachers; (2) to strengthen knowledge and practice in teaching; and (3) to strengthen the profession of teaching by serving as models of promising and productive structural relations. At present there is neither a…

This digest highlights ways in which new and seasoned teachers are developing a repertoire of skills and knowledge that complement education reform efforts. For example, rather than seeing each stage of a teacher's professional life as distinct and separate, a more holistic view of the development of teacher from novice to advanced practitioner is…

Since many senior academic administrators of colleges and universities first trained for academic careers in research and teaching, they have had minimal management training. Both academic and nonacademic officers with administrative experience find they must quickly develop the different knowledge and skills needed to manage an institution when…

Although instructional leadership is acknowledged to be a critical skill in educational administration, few principals and superintendents have had in-depth training for that role, especially in a standards-based environment. Current definitions of instructional leadership include much deeper involvement in the "core technology" of…

Since the Internet has become a primary information source, this digest offers a list of online resources to assist teachers and educators in conducting research and curriculum development and in meeting the National Standards for Arts Education in Theatre. The digest provides brief summaries of three Web sites on theatre education. It then…

This digest asserts that the question of coach preparation and training has become a priority issue for many schools and communities, though the research is limited. It examines reasons to have coach education; the scope of sport participation; the status of coach education and training in the United States; National standards for coach education;…

This Digest states that the integration of research into counseling through an evidence-based approach actually brings the best elements of practice, clinical experience, and reliable treatment protocols together to serve the task of helping clients with the complex problems they bring to counseling. It gives several broad implications for the…

Many of the characteristics typically associated with an occupation that is considered a profession are not commonly associated with teaching. These characteristics include: a clearly defined, codified, and accessible knowledge base; a structured, coherent induction experience monitored by oustanding practitioners; control of training,…

Since professional development schools (PDSs) emerged in the mid-1980s as a promising approach to improving teacher education and P-12 schooling, information about these institutions has become more abundant and more accessible. Four primary sources of PDS information are discussed in this digest: the ERIC database, electronic resources, fugitive…

In the current climate of accountability, the responsibilities of principals have increased. The new role of principals requires new forms of training, and standards-based reform is generating major changes in principal-preparation programs. This digest examines some of those changes. First, it looks at the effectiveness of principal-preparation…

The school-based teacher educator (SBTE) is a classroom teacher who is responsible for preservice, inservice, or continuing education at a school or district level while maintaining a primary work location in an elementary or secondary classroom. Teachers in this role have the potential for enhancing faculty morale by responding to both the…

This digest explores the changing role of the academic department chair in the areas of leadership, influence, and faculty development. The paper uses research insights to explore the situation of an academic chair who is squeezed between the demands of upper administration and the expectations of faculty, staff, and students. Studies of the roles…

The efforts of student affairs aimed at improving quality of life, integrating new student groups, and attracting and retaining students are becoming critical to colleges and universities. Student affairs organizations can respond to the changing conditions and take a leadership role in new institutional strategies; they can become…