During the 1990s, Virginia implemented statewide Standards of Learning, but several school districts did not have the capacity to meet these new content and performance standards. In 1996, a "high-need" rural Virginia school district was selected as a development site where elements of a technical assistance system to improve student…

There are about 80,000 public school principals in the United States today. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 10 percent employment increase in educational administration jobs between now and 2008. Numerous articles and studies written on the principal shortage conclude that qualified, experienced principals are getting harder to find,…

This paper discusses the future role of technology in arts education and addresses the impact of technology on teaching and learning in these content areas. The following topics are covered: (1) technology in arts education; (2) the link between learning and technology; (3) change in goals and purpose in arts education--curriculum, instruction,…

The challenges of making rural schools more effective vary with different types of rural conditions. But typically these challenges might include any of the following: teacher shortages, lack of facilities, isolation, HIV/AIDS and related social stigma, war crises and displaced populations, multigrade and shift teaching, administration of small…

This paper describes the Academic Summer Camp (ASC) initiated at The Accelerated School (TAS), the country's first charter accelerated school. The ASC delivers educational services to K-7 children and their parents in south central Los Angeles. Students are 40 percent African American and 60 percent Latino, and most qualify for the federal free…

This study reviewed literature on Professional Development Schools (PDSs) relevant to outcomes for teacher education programs and the students they serve. It also examined the philosophy and defined common objectives of PDSs. The study consulted education databases and analyzed papers collected at national meetings. Data analysis indicates that…

Placed within the context of current policy, research, and implementation provisions in early childhood education in New Zealand, this study examined the current professional development provisions for the implementation of Te Whariki in Pacific Islands early childhood centers (PIECCs) and the current approaches used by PIECCs to assess children's…

Over the past four legislative sessions, the Texas State Legislature enacted laws that have accelerated the integration of technology into public education. The significant effort to build technology infrastructure in Texas is evident through the thousands of public school awards provided by the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) Board,…

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of Project TIES (Towards Inclusion in Early Education), a federally funded demonstration model training program designed to enhance the abilities of child care providers and trainers to include young children, birth to five, with disabilities in developmentally appropriate child care…

This paper presents a model of supervision that examines and informs the understanding of professional development within a Professional Development School (PDS) context. It offers a theoretically-based model for supervision, drawing on three bodies of literature (supervision, teacher inquiry, and PDSs). The study constructed and explored a model…

This publication offers summaries of presentations from a 2001 symposium on adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) research and practice. Presentations include the following: "Reading Research Synthesis" (Miriam Burt); "How Adults Learn to Read in English" (John Strucker); "Findings, Reactions to and Practitioner Implications of the 'What Works'…

This document is comprised of weekly newsletters, compiled by month, for family child care providers for the year 2003. Each theme-based four-page newsletter contains: (1) creative activities for use with mixed-age groups of 2- to 5-year-olds; (2) ideas on guiding behavior, organization tips, and Monthly Planning Calendar; (3) special sections for…

Digital technologies bring museums, libraries, and archives together to enhance learning by providing access to digitized primary and secondary cultural resources along with the more traditional bibliographic materials. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University Library and the College of Education are developing a…

In the context of a national discussion regarding behavior management in child and youth care settings, and in an effort to address the need to care safely and appropriately for children and youth, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) formed the National Task Force on Behavior Management. The task force includes representatives of advocacy…

Drawing from the experiences of successful businesses and business leaders, this book offers a different look at school leadership. It is intended to be a hands-on guide for school officials by offering perspectives on what it takes to be an effective leader in today's schools. Its concepts and recommendations represent a combination of the best…