This book provides an approach to professional development that moves beyond traditional notions of inservice education and staff development. Collegial coaching is premised on the notion that the impetus for improving instruction originates within individual teachers. There are 16 chapters in three parts. Part 1, "Theory," includes: (1)…

As the World Wide Web becomes part of mainstream learning and teaching at Australian universities, changes to online learning include a proliferation in the use of commercial learning environments and in the movement of institutional processes online. These changes indicate that now is an appropriate time to plan for the future. The University of…

There are now many educational organizations and institutions that have decided to pursue flexible delivery and online learning as strategies. While many educators value online delivery of programs for the flexibility and opportunities offered, the environment offers far more than these outcomes alone. Online delivery supports and encourages very…

This report provides an overview and description of social and emotional learning (SEL) and service-learning (S-L) as tools to improve the lives and academic performance of students. It describes how the two practices are interrelated, and cites research evidence that supports the expanded use of both practices in the classroom. Also provided are…

Emerging research from across the nation demonstrates that school working conditions--time, teacher empowerment, school leadership, professional development, and facilities and resources--are critical to increasing student achievement and retaining teachers. The existing national data regarding working conditions impact on student achievement and…

Student diversity is significantly different than diversity in the teaching staff. Educational leaders must identify methods to bridge the gap in teacher diversity so that students of all backgrounds see adult role models and images of themselves in the classroom. Recruiting, developing, and retaining qualified minority teachers is an important…

The information in this booklet is intended to respond to common questions and concerns heard from parents of about-to-be kindergartners. It is based on research about the growth, development, and learning of young children and about the kinds of learning experiences that are most likely to promote their success in school and beyond. Topics…

This book is about learning styles and inclusion, but essentially it is about learning, and how to make learning more effective for all learners. To recognise the needs of learners as well as those of teachers, and at the same time appreciate that the inclusive education environment, irrespective of its merits, will present barriers for learners,…

The transition from elementary to middle school can be an exciting as well as scary time for young adolescents. The stress of this transition can be decreased by incorporating transition programs that address student needs and concerns. This qualitative research study was designed to gain an overall sense of fourth grade in order to better…

This research brief highlights findings from a qualitative study of the contextual factors that shape engagement in adult literacy education. Engagement is mental effort focused on learning and is a precondition to learning progress. Some researchers focus on engagement as a cognitive, or mental, process closely related to such things as…

Aspects of the school environment and interactions in the larger school-community context that affect children's literacy were examined in a school located in a predominantly lower income urban community in the northeast where 97 percent of the students are African American, Jamaican, or Hispanic. Four dimensions of the literacy program were…

This literature review focuses on the application of technology (primarily the computer) to education. No single vision drives the infusion of technology into the schools, although social, vocational, pedagogic, and catalytic rationales have been proposed. Technology has a role in school restructuring by standardizing and automating procedures.…

Concepts in this book are presented to help parents and teachers help students create a positive vision of themselves and their abilities. The first section explores the idea of institutional racism and how it affects the mind sets of people charged with educating young people, specifically African American youth. Instrumental methods designed to…

This book is addressed to high school principals, teachers, curriculum specialists, counselors, and other educators interested in creating sound change at the building level. The theme of constructivism and constructivist thought pervades the text. Part 1 introduces the reader to constructivism and offers comparisons of a high school based on…

This paper describes conditions and circumstances in students' family, peer, and school worlds which students perceive as creating pressures and stress powerful enough to divert their attention and interest from school. Rather than assuming that minority status, linguistic differences, part-time employment, peers and/or poverty necessarily create…