This paper outlines a specific distance education solution to a condition of teacher shortage involving the collaboration of two major institutions of higher education in two countries: the Open University of the United Kingdom and the California State University System of California, United States. The paper explores global challenges facing…

Teachers in this study participated in a 3-year grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education Fund for Innovation in Education. The purpose of the grant was to provide teachers with support in implementing standards-based education. Both treatment and control groups of teachers received instruction in implementing standards-based education from…

Staff development in cooperative learning must focus on three stages of staff development (pre-training, training, and post-training) to achieve at least five purposes. The five purposes are: creating conditions for successful staff development prior to training; conducting high-quality training sessions that result in mastery of the conceptual…

This final report documents the activities and products of the Related Services Research Project to Support the Education of Students with Deaf Blindness, a four-year research project which was designed to define, implement, and evaluate a set of specific strategies that would result in effective special education and related service provision for…

This paper introduces a method of storying called concentric storying, describing its development as a vehicle for both personal growth and professional development in preservice teacher education. Concentric storying is the process of deconstructing personal stories to reveal the core values and beliefs and acting as a catalyst for the…

This book joins instructional design as the axis of school reform with collaborative observation as the proven method to sustain teacher growth and renewal. The acronym COMPASS (Collaborative Observation for Monitoring Practices to Achieve Sustained School reform) is used. The book details a four-part observation process, each component of which…

To improve American education, there must be improved ongoing professional development for teachers and a national plan for helping teachers fulfill their untapped potential. Research shows that quality professional development can improve student achievement. Teachers report that professional development improves their teaching. Despite this, the…

This paper discusses dynamics of educational systems that can influence professional development. It begins by suggesting that adjusting education systems to support sustained, high-quality professional development for all teachers can be compared to developing dynamic, passionate orchestras whose productions touch their audiences and bring joy…

This paper details how a Learning Circle model provided faculty in a multi-program graduate department of education with a vehicle to reflect on their teaching, research practices, and the structure and design of their graduate programs. Through participation in the Learning Circle, faculty met weekly to discuss a common series of readings which…

This study utilized collaborative group action research to investigate the effective use of mentoring teacher programs. The research group consisted of a new content area teacher, a transferring teacher from a different state, and a university researcher. The group met initially to finalize the research question, which addressed how they could…

New U.S. teachers are challenged to educate diverse learners in an increasingly complex knowledge-based, technology-oriented society. Often, new teachers receive little support from colleagues or professional development. Many low-wealth urban districts with acute shortages are turning toward beginning teacher induction programs to keep new…

Describes a federally funded project that paired special education student teachers with experienced special education teachers to improve the knowledge and application of professional skills and competencies for both groups. The mentoring provided the teachers with opportunities to collaborate, reflect, practice, and rethink quality instruction.…

Describes four models for grouping in cooperative teaching settings with a regular and a special educator. Common coteaching issues such as grading and classroom management are addressed. Charts provide a framework for lesson planning in coteaching settings. (DB)

Outlines issues of personality factors/communication style, teaching style/philosophy, and classroom management style that should be explored by teachers before they embark on a collaborative venture into inclusion, where special and general education teachers team for extended periods of the school day. (SR)

Reflects on a study involving 92 general educators and 114 special educators that examined perceptions of actual and preferred preassessment-related team activities and team members. Discusses commonalities between preassessment and educational reform, provides an overview of the importance of preassessment, and outlines a model for preassessment.…