Describes the Professional Development Schools (PDS) initiative to simultaneously restructure schools and teacher education programs. Outlines program components. Presents steps to develop an inclusive PDS through the University of Central Florida-Daytona Beach, Volusia County School District, and the Florida Inclusion Network, including public…

Argues that developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood education is a good model for effective practice in teacher education programs preparing early childhood teachers. Discusses ways to design classroom learning centers for adult students, describes strategies for tapping into what is known about how adults learn, and presents the…

Describes the goals and curriculum of a teacher education program designed to prepare 20 individuals to teach limited English proficient children with disabilities. The critical features of bilingual special education teacher preparation programs are discussed, including the need to teach how to create culturally responsive classrooms. (Author/CR)

Describes the North Central Educational Service District (Washington) Priority Hispanic Certification program for training bilingual teachers. Begun in 1993, the program finds, trains, and certifies bilingual paraprofessionals and foreign-trained teachers to fill the need for bilingual teachers in central Washington schools. Teacher training…

This article describes the restructuring of the Special Education Teacher Education program at the University of Washington. Analysis indicated a paradigm shift as well as intense collaborative activity and significant programmatic and curricular modifications. Descriptions of the type of personnel needed in the new program are offered, and goals…

A British master's program in education using distance learning and independent study for candidates employed in schools overseas was evaluated using an instrument designed to measure participant satisfaction with instructional modules. Results suggest that the instrument is useful not only in determining satisfaction levels but also in evaluating…

Argues that Aboriginal graduate students are creating a crisis for faculties of education. The knowledge needed to supervise them as they produce theses is not available. Expertise in Aboriginal educational issues, familiarity with literature, knowledge of Aboriginal languages, and understanding of the oral tradition are inadequate.…

Discusses the problems and benefits of implementing portfolio evaluation in a preservice teacher social studies methods course. Maintains that adopting portfolio assessment opens the way for students to construct alternative conceptions of teaching. Includes criteria for the development and evaluation of students' portfolios. (MJP)

This commentary provides an overview of federal initiatives to prepare teachers for working with students with disabilities, federal education legislation supporting equity and access, and remaining challenges for preparing teachers to work in inclusive environments. The need to ensure that students are meaningfully included is stressed. (Contains…

A description of the development of a teacher education program at Northwest Indian College (Washington) illustrates how mainstream economic pressures and political forces support White institutional hegemony and constrict Native educational self-determination. Native developers of programs promoting local language and identity must negotiate…

In 1998, the Visually Impaired Personnel Preparation Program was established in Texas to train 100 teachers of students with visual impairments and 50 orientation and mobility specialists. By May 2000, 194 students had enrolled. Course work was delivered at outreach sites and through online courses, interactive television, and on campuses.…

Discusses an innovative process that was used for engaging prospective teachers in collaboration and reflection on their learning as they developed a multi-media portfolio. (Contains 15 references.) (WRM)

Revision of the Bachelor of Education program at the University of Alberta (Canada) and results of an initial formative evaluation of one program component--students' first school placement--are described. Program revisions based on continual student and teacher feedback obtained from ongoing formative evaluation enabled positive program…

The quality of existing teacher education programs is currently being debated in many countries and at many educational levels. This article examines the nature of teaching and challenges the common mechanistic approach to teacher education design. If teaching is a complex profession, then a more integrated and dynamic approach to designing…

Ten university graduate students created electronic case studies describing the learning of struggling readers as a part of this study designed to yield insights about literacy education and the efficacy of electronic case study development. A variety of data, analyzed through a qualitative content analysis, revealed understandings regarding…