Describes the concept of and various forms of professional development in Australia, examining the personal professional development plans required in some Australian states and focusing on the effectiveness of professional development, teacher response to professional development, and the dynamic interaction between three elements necessary for…

The UMass Lilly Teaching Fellows early career faculty development program was rated a success at its 10-year mark by fellows who were asked in a survey to assess the program and its effects on their careers. In order not only to continue the program's success but improve upon it, the UMass Center for Teaching, guided by the survey, significantly…

Following a comparison of two approaches to mentoring--the traditional model and a relatively new "synergistic" or co-mentoring model--a new formal mentoring program for faculty in the School of Education at the University of Colorado at Denver, based on the synergistic approach, is described. First-year program evaluation data revealed…

Evaluation and assessment are critical to the success of FLCs, and authentic assessment has the potential to contribute greatly to the quality of FLC experiences in terms of both process and outcomes. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)

This paper is based on information researched and presented in a faculty development seminar for elementary teachers for use with students preparing for national testing to manage stress and increase attention focus. It reviews effects of stress on behavior, mood, and concentration; explains basics of breath work and meditation; provides…

In an effort to accommodate mandated standards-based assessment for measuring pre-service teacher quality, the Teacher Education Program at The University of Iowa has used for the last decade a web-based electronic portfolio system--ePortfolio[TM]--to help pre-service teachers document fulfillment of professional teaching standards throughout…

Long-term influences of educational development initiatives for novice faculty members are seldom studied in a systematic way. In this exploratory study the long-term individual and institutional impact of a novice faculty training programme at the University of Antwerp (Belgium) was evaluated, using a written survey with open questions. The…

The evaluation of the Texas Rural Technology (R-Tech) Pilot sought to understand how districts implemented R-Tech grants, the effects of implementation on student and teacher outcomes, as well as the cost effectiveness and sustainability of R-Tech. The Texas legislature (80th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2007) authorized the creation of…

Research Findings: Previous research has documented conflicting results on the relationship between program quality and the percentage of children receiving subsidized child care (subsidy density) in early childhood centers. This research examined the relationship between subsidy density and the quality of infant and preschool classrooms in child…

Aligned with recent changes to syllabuses in Australia is an assessment regime requiring teachers to identify what their students "know" and "can do" in terms of the quality of understanding demonstrated. This paper describes the experiences of 25 secondary science and mathematics teachers in rural schools in New South Wales as…

The need for effective teachers is growing while national and state standards are putting ever-increasing demands on teachers and raising expectations for student achievement. Low science and mathematics standardized test scores, particularly in the middle grades, reflect unprepared adolescents, perhaps because of ineffective teaching strategies…

Ensuring that all Arizona children receive the high-quality education they deserve requires an effective teacher in every classroom along with school and district leadership that is focused on raising student achievement. Arizona's educators, from the classroom teacher to the district superintendent, are the most important component of the state's…

The "Guide to National Board Certification" introduces teachers to the assessment process and provides them with useful information as they apply for National Board Certification or order the "Take One![R]" professional development kit. By participating in the National Board Certification process, participants are joining tens of thousands of…

The design, implementation, and evaluation of faculty development programs have become a priority in both public and private institutions of higher education. This paper discusses a program that has been successful in meeting the needs of both experienced and new faculty members at The Autonomous University of the North East (UANE) in Mexico. The…

Teachers who are trained in Consistency Management and who use its principles in the classroom can facilitate improvement in student academic achievement. The Consistency Management Program, consisting of school and classroom management strategies integrated with instructional methods, seems to provide the conditions for learning to occur. Five…