Over the last 20 years, K-12 schools have spent millions of dollars equipping their schools with the latest technologies, but often without a thoughtful plan of how their use would impact learning and teaching. What is important is how the technology is integrated with the instructional program. To ensure that technology dollars have an impact on…

The high expectations for scientific literacy for all students demands a certain quality of science education in lower secondary education. This program focuses on supporting teachers in implementing this new curriculum. There are three interconnecting components of the program: (1) curriculum resources; (2) professional development; and (3)…

This paper describes an early childhood Professional Development School (PDS) partnership between an all kindergarten elementary school and a comprehensive state university, focusing on the process of collaboration between partners. The process began in the spring 2002 semester, with the school principal inviting the university faculty and PDS…

This investigation examined whether the professional trainers could benefit from a needs analysis course in which real cases from various organizations were used and all the learning activities and materials were geared closely to the learning expectations and preferences of adults. Specifically, this study attempted to find out whether the use of…

How can instructional designers create executive education, seminar style (non-credit) courses that are short (one to two hours) but still provide a meaningful learning experience for managers and executives in an organization? Engaging and motivating learners in short courses without traditional assessment formats or external motivators such as…

The National Writing Project (NWP) at Work monograph series describes NWP work, often shared informally or in workshops through the NWP network, and offers detailed chronological accounts for sites interested in adopting and adapting the models. In 1991, an educational innovation, the National Writing Project in Vermont (NWP-VT) began its first…

This report describes some of the new demands on school leaders and identifies what schools, districts, states, and the federal government can do to strengthen the ability of principals and other educators to become instructional leaders. It begins by offering different definitions of instructional leadership and describing standards that provide…

This paper is about improving mathematics achievement among the lowest attaining students in some mainstream secondary school through focusing on thinking in ordinary lessons. The research is funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation (grant numbers 01-1415 & 02-1424) and involves three academics and nine teacher-researchers. A research perspective…

In this research report we share results of a study of an adaptation of Lesson Study, a form of professional development typically used in Japanese elementary schools, with secondary mathematics teachers in the United States. We draw on Wenger's (1998) concept of "communities of practice" and Grossman, Wineberg, and Woolworth's (2001)…

From its founding, The After-School Corporation (TASC) has worked to advance two interrelated goals: (1) Increase the availability of after-school opportunities by providing resources and approaches for establishing new projects and expanding existing projects; and (2) Enhance the quality of after-school services by incorporating research-based…

This document is designed to help administrators and faculties understand how the many complicated pieces of a high-performing school fit together. Trying to implement all the pieces at once may not be a solid plan for accomplishing a vision of quality. Taking steps to determine what is most critical for students is the logical starting place. The…

This pamphlet summarizes the outcomes of a 2-day symposium regarding the development of an Illinois Director Credential for directors of center-based early childhood programs. Day 1 included keynote presentations from national experts who provided a rationale for a director credential, a conceptual framework for defining director competence, the…

A study was conducted to examine the attitudes of elementary, middle/junior high, and high school counselors toward the development of national standards for school counseling programs. An effort was also made to identify the components counselors thought should be included in the national standards. Input from leaders of the American School…

This study identified training needs for Pennsylvania child care providers and assessed the impact of training, classroom/caregiver dynamics, and staff characteristics on child care quality. Participating were 29 family child care providers, 30 group homes, and 60 child care centers, stratified by type of site and geographic region. Quality of…

The California Legislature and Governor created the Class Size Reduction (CSR) program as part of the 1996-97 Budget Act. The goal of the program is to increase student achievement by reducing average class sizes from 28.6 students to no more than 20 students in up to 3 grades. The 1997-98 governor's budget proposes expansion of the CSR program to…