This book, a commentary on becoming a teacher, presents a set of essays based on observations of a group of young, white, middle class female teachers learning what it means to be alone at the head of the classroom. It presents a textured picture of the development of competence. The picture is organized around the complications of ordinary life…

The use of electronic technologies for the delivery of instruction has grown at an exponential rate over the last five years. Institutions of higher education, corporations, and K-12 environments continue to seek ways to use online tools to deliver instruction. While the increased interest and need is an exciting development, several challenges…

This fact sheet on cerebral palsy is written in both English and Spanish. First, it provides a definition of cerebral palsy and considers various causes (e.g., an insufficient amount of oxygen reaching the fetal or newborn brain). The fact sheet then offers incidence figures and explains characteristics of the three main types of cerebral palsy:…

The Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI) is a collaborative mathematics, science, and technology education reform effort among six states in central Appalachia--Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The project aims to stimulate sustainable systemic improvements in these subjects for K-12 students in a…

Colleges and universities can increase the number of students who graduate by making a number of small, strategic changes in institutional policies and practices. Some schools have done this by focusing on effective educational practices and empowering faculty, staff and students to work together in new, productive ways. Others have improved the…

Department chairs are in a position to help shape a culture where student learning is the central focus of faculty, staff, and students (Gmelch & Schuh, 2004). They hire, socialize, and evaluate faculty members' performance, guide curriculum development, and maintain the quality of academic programs. At the same time, department chairs typically…

The process of accreditation review in the U.S. serves two primary functions: quality assurance and continual improvement. The experienced educators who voluntarily serve on accreditation teams apply common standards of quality that serve students and meet public accountability expectations and offer suggestions and recommendations for…

This paper presents the results of instrument development and adaptation efforts associated with conceptualizing and investigating self and organizational efficacies in terms of motivation toward achievement of organizational goals in schools, child welfare agencies, and higher education institutions. Results of initial conceptual development of a…

Technology has been making rapid strides since its inception in the school curriculum. In 1970, four kinds of software were available for use in reading instruction, although they were criticized for deficiencies. Throughout the 1980s, the number of schools having computers and sufficient software increased. Advantages in using computers in…

This collection of seven major presentations at a 1997 conference on assessment and quality in higher education includes three plenary presentations and four introductions to program strands. In "Accountability and Assessment in a Second Decade: New Looks or Same Old Story?" Peter T. Ewell stresses the importance of defining the academic integrity…

Students who are no longer children but not yet fully adolescent require an appropriate program to meet their specific education needs. The true middle school program can meet these needs. In an effort to provide usable and valuable guidelines for evaluation of existing school programs and for planning new ones, this booklet describes 14…

This study sought a better understanding of faculty culture and was designed to allow faculty to describe their own cultural experience through a series of structured interviews. Fifty faculty members at three universities were asked to voice their beliefs about faculty culture, particularly in regard to faculty stratification (perception of…

This book presents 13 papers which address human resource management in universities and colleges of further education in the United Kingdom. A list of abbreviations precedes the papers. The papers are: (1) "Setting the Scene" (Elaine Crosthwaite and David Warner); (2) "Managing Change" (David House and David Watson); (3)…

In this study 10 first-year African American students (five men and five women) took photographs that illustrated their perceptions of the predominantly white research university they attended and discussed their pictures in subsequent individual and focus group interviews. Two theoretical frameworks provided the structure for the analysis:…

Early childhood professionals and others concerned with the welfare of young children believe that voluntary quality guidelines can provide a model for program developers and current operators to use in assuring that program practices are age appropriate, that trained personnel are available, and that facilities are acceptable. These quality…