Examines policies and procedures concerning substitute teachers in public schools in the 19-state area encompassed by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. (MH)

This issue of R&D Alert addresses special education primarily for an audience of general educators and policymakers. As the lead article discusses, the plight of students with disabilities and other special needs is increasingly the concern of all educators, not just those with a particular background in special education. The lead article…

The purpose of "Effective Student Assessment and Evaluation in the Classroom: Knowledge + Skills + Attributes" is to more clearly articulate the student assessment knowledge, skills and attributes expected under the Teaching Quality Standard Ministerial Order of applicants for Alberta interim professional teacher certification. The…

Charter schools are expected to be innovative and to look different than traditional public schools. There is evidence that charter school administrators are taking advantage of opportunities to be innovative in their hiring practices and that teachers in charter schools look different than their colleagues in traditional public schools. It is not…

This study looks at the distribution of all 140,000 teachers in 2002-2003 among Illinois' public schools using five teacher attributes that have been shown in previous research to be related to student performance and for which they were able to obtain data--college competitiveness, years of experience, type of credential, performance on the Basic…

Community college teacher preparation programs have grown significantly in the last decade, but, as the recommendations and examples from "Teaching by Choice" indicate, greater expansion and innovation is both desirable and possible. Community colleges can provide a diverse stream of K-12 educators highly qualified to teach science, mathematics,…

Professional development for teachers of mathematics is changing dramatically. It is changing, in terms of content and pedagogy--because of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards, which imply a more collaborative, constructive, and student-centered approach to instruction--and in terms of format--because of research on the…

Selected issues related to the lack of women in the information technology (IT) center were examined. Data were collected through literature and Internet research and interviews with female IT professionals and IT educators and trainers. Particular attention was paid to the following issues: qualifications necessary for a career in IT; barriers…

A study of the status of alternative education (AE) in Pennsylvania surveyed 220 administrators and 234 teachers and counselors in AE settings. Results indicate that discipline programming was common to most programs, probably because Pennsylvania's AE legislation specifically states that AE programs are "designed to modify disruptive…

This collection of research reports is intended to advance the understanding of schools through empirical study and theoretical analysis. The reports are as follows: "The Punctuated Equilibrium of National Reading Policy: Literacy's Changing Images and Venues" (Celia Sims and Cecil Miskel); "Productive Campus Leadership Responses to…

This volume was created around the premise that America's schools face a crisis in leadership. For America to have the great schools it needs, schools and their school systems must have great leaders. After a foreword by Chester E. Finn, Jr. and an introduction by Eli Broad, the book is divided into three parts. The first part presents a manifesto…

Several trends in education are affecting administrators on a daily basis. This paper attempts to heighten understanding of a few of the current trends in administration. The first trend that is increasingly coming to the forefront is the lack of personnel willing to pursue a career in administration. Personnel in schools are not willing to take…

This study examines how the federal government and states prepare to implement the No Child Left Behind Act. Researchers reviewed states' consolidated applications for federal grants; conducted telephone interviews with officials in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and 8 school districts; and reviewed relevant research. The study addresses…

This report presents data on Tennessee's teaching workforce. There has been a recent increase in the percentage of new, inexperienced teachers hired in Tennessee. While there was no change in teacher turnover in recent years, the loss of new teachers became more serious throughout the 1990s. Lack of teacher and administrator diversity remained a…

When a program with demonstrated effectiveness is expanded, knowing how it works and why it works the way it does is an indispensable first step in preserving its quality. This report draws on P/PV's experience with different programs to show how to define a model's essential elements to increase the chances of successful replication. It contains…