Scholarship on the role of professional development opportunities for undergraduate students has highlighted the growing importance of internship programs. Different designs of internship programs have emerged as their numbers proliferate. Internship programs vary on key dimensions including integration of academic content, development of…

This article outlines how Master of Public Administration (MPA)/Master of Public Policy (MPP) programs can integrate a project-based learning opportunity to study curricular design and accreditation needs in their quantitative courses. Bridging together theory and the practical implications of data collection and analysis is important for…

A number of reports in the US have highlighted the country's need for improved second language skills for both national security and economic competitiveness. The Language Flagship program, launched in 2002, aims to raise expectations regarding language proficiency levels at the post-secondary level and to address structural gaps in the curricula…

Wyoming principals were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the strengths and deficits of their preparation program, their professional development needs as beginning principals, and the areas in which their districts offer professional development. Findings indicated much variation in perceptions of preparation program strengths and deficits.…

California's education system--the largest in the United States--is an essential resource for ensuring strong economic growth in the state. The Career Technical Education Pathways Initiative (referred to as the Initiative in this report), which became law in 2005, brings together community colleges, K-12 school districts, employers, organized…

How leaders learn to become leaders has been an area of much research. When asked what were the key experiences in learning leadership, leaders often speak of the importance of "on-the-job" experiences, yet these experiences are rarely fully detailed in the research literature. The importance of "apprenticeships" and being…

This article presents a picture of how unique, varied and valuable the AECT intern experience can be. While some of the reflections are very broad and others very specific in focus, the authors have discussed as a group their shared conviction that these experiences are not limited only to the AECT interns. The possibilities for similar…

This two-volume evaluation report of the Initiation to Teaching Project of Alberta Education, Canada, presents detailed information on the project, which provided employment as interns to nearly 900 recent graduates of teacher preparation programs. The report includes many elements: (1) a literature review; (2) a collection of information about…

This report presents the results of the evaluation of the 2-year Initiation to Teaching Project, implemented in schools in Alberta, Canada in 1985. The project provided employment in teaching for recently graduated teachers and supported their transition into full-time teaching with professional assistance. The report is divided into six sections:…

This study describes and contrasts the activities and attitudes of 33 prospective secondary teachers in a graduate level, master's degree initial teacher certification program incorporating a year-long, three-phased internship in the public schools. The three phases of the internship were: teacher assistant, teacher associate, and…

A large-scale teacher internship project, the Initiation to Teaching Project, was implemented in the schools in Alberta, Canada, in September, 1985. The general purposes of the 2-year project were to provide employment in teaching for recently graduated teachers, and to assess the utility of a year-long program in which the transition from…

Placements in English departments' internship programs are problematic when writing opportunities lack range and/or depth, but at the same time students often have excellent internship experiences despite limited writing opportunities. An examination of the designs and assumptions of the writing skills internship program in the English Department…

Facing a new state mandate, Maryland teacher educators established a pilot professional development school (PDS) and achieved positive results with preservice teachers. The PDS internship was more effective than the regular program in preparing teacher candidates to maintain classroom discipline, use technology effectively for instruction, and…

This paper presents a proposal for an alternative principal-certification program, which is to be operated by Tarleton State University (Texas) in collaboration with 10 independent Texas school districts, 4 regional educational service centers, 2 professional associations, and 1 foundation. The New Century Educational Leadership Program (NCELP) is…

Student teaching or internship evaluation instruments used in teacher education programs at 11 research universities were analyzed. Their emphasis on classroom management knowledge and skills may be contributing to what many teachers see as a frustrating concentration on management and a smooth-running classroom over attention to substantive…