This study of 67 preservice and 67 inservice teachers' performances on computer-based scenarios, prompting instructional decision-making and using embedded assessment, illustrates differences in how experienced and novice teachers make technology integration decisions. The major findings that emerged from the comparative analysis of novice and…

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 dissertation examines the following questions: (1) What are the characteristics and teaching practices of faculty that lead to higher student outcomes? (2) How do community colleges effectively support the efforts of faculty, who are successful in producing high student outcomes? (3) How can this knowledge be incorporated into an effective…

The School Improvement Specialist Project prepared seven modules. School improvement specialists, as defined by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory at Edvantia, are change agents who work with schools to help them improve in the following areas so as to increase student achievement. These modules are intended to provide training materials for…

The Creative Curriculum for Preschool is a comprehensive resource for establishing and sustaining a quality preschool program. The first of two volumes of trainer's guides to The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, this book offers detailed workshops and handouts on the foundation of the curriculum, four of the five components of the curriculum…

This paper examines the development of a comprehensive assessment system within a school-university educator preparation collaborative, detailing the evidence sources used in relation to the three categories into which the assessment system is organized (performance, process, and program). The Professional Development School Network (PDSN) was…

This paper presents a model and process for shared decision making among teacher education faculty, PreK-12 educators, and College of Science and Mathematics (COSM) faculty at Wright State University (WSU), Ohio. WSU used a process model to plan and articulate the simultaneous renewal of the education of educators and school teachers. The College…

This inservice professional development module, part of the Alabama Reading Initiative, presents research summaries, notes for presenters, and activities. The Phonemic Awareness and Phonics module clarifies that skilled readers are accurate and automatic decoders (i.e., they have the alphabetic principle). Phonics instruction must empower all…

This document is comprised of four issues of a quarterly publication presenting information related to the Reggio Emilia approach to preschool education. Regularly appearing features of the publication include editorials, a calendar of conferences and workshops of related interest, a list of Reggio networks in the United States and Canada, and a…

This report describes the Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound Project (ELOB), a 3-year project launched by Outward Bound USA in 1992 with a grant from the New American Schools Development Corporation. The major goal of the ELOB was to develop new schools or transform existing ones into centers of expeditionary learning, in which learning would…

This final report summarizes the activities of TIME (Training in a Manila Envelope), a federally funded project designed to replicate the Child Care plus+ model of inservice training by providing: (1) a course on inclusion directly for child care providers and other early childhood professionals in rural areas across the nation; and (2) training…

This paper examines the process of identity formation of a nonnative English speaking (NNES) graduate student pursuing a master of arts in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). The factors that influence the formation of a professional identity are examined for nonnative English speaking TESOL pre-service professionals. An…

This case study examines the history and current circumstances of education in Cocke County (Tennessee) in the context of its participation in the Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI), which aims to improve science and mathematics achievement through systemic reform. Sections of this report describe the county's history, demography, and…

The federal Migrant Education Program provides supplemental instruction and support services to migrant children through grants to states under Title I, Part C, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The reauthorization of Title I in 1994 contained new requirements that Title I schools help students meet new state standards developed for…

This paper was prepared for the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment and Training Taskforce on Teacher Quality & Educational Leadership. It covers the following broad areas: (1) How can a national definition of "Good Teaching" be developed, and what should it include?; (2) What should a "National Standards…