Interviews with 29 participants in state-mandated mentoring of beginning teachers, school counselors, and school librarians revealed that the most prominent mentor roles were assisting beginners' adjustment to the job and providing feedback. The mentor's role with respect to curriculum and teaching skills was less prominent. Expectations for…

Professional development schools serve both novice and experienced teachers' needs by combining teacher education with professional development and school-restructuring efforts. Such schools are creating new opportunities for learning by teaching, doing, and collaborating. This article describes the University of Southern Maine's one-year,…

Explains the need for scientific and technological literacy, the role of supplementary teaching materials specifically created for this purpose, and the successes and difficulties in creating teaching materials in a workshop. Concludes that science teaching today is not designed to promote literacy and does not assist students in becoming the…

Describes the experiences of six science teachers and a facilitator involved in an action research group in science, technology, and society (STS) education. Explores the genesis of an issues-based model and highlights applications of this model in a classroom context. Examines action research as a potential tool for professional development in…

Colleges and university administrations must recognize and accommodate change more quickly and efficiently if the institutions are to remain competitive. Trustees must examine the policies they create from this perspective, also keeping in focus the institution's mission, strategic direction, and future. Institutions need periodic professional…

Presents a model of professional development that is suited to the inservice Spanish teacher with limited time and financial resources. Details a summer program for Spanish teachers in Venezuela that combines an immersion experience with an advanced methodology course emphasizing a standards-based approach to curriculum development. (Author/VWL)

South Carolina adopted grade-level content standards in 1997 and required curriculum assessment in 1999. A model for implementation of these requirements is presented that includes rationale, definitions, a planning activity chart, and 10 elements of planning and implementation. A case study illustrates how one rural school district with limited…

This article describes the Michigan Teacher Technology Initiative, a program currently being implemented that provides a one-time investment (not to exceed $1,200) of technology to teachers. Professional development courses that teach general and special education teachers strategies for integrating technology into the curriculum are also…

Asserts that, as institutional assessment becomes a more prominent feature of the higher education landscape, community colleges are looking for better ways to evaluate their quality. Provides examples of and tools for faculty evaluation and includes research regarding the practices of evaluation at two-year colleges in the United States. Cites 15…

Describes a course designed for school administrators that incorporates the use of technology for teaching and learning and the use of technology in non-instructional processes of managing and leading schools. Presents an overview of the constructivist-based course that includes leadership skills, school finance, information management, technology…

This case study examined how four university faculty members experienced the process of collaboratively planning and teaching university methods courses to match the needs of their Professional Development School context. Interview data highlighted four themes as integral to their collective story: learning how to create a participative culture,…

Advocates public policy education in higher education and student involvement in state public policy. Discusses ways to incorporate public policy education in university courses in family and consumer sciences curricula at the introductory, advanced, and graduate levels, including writing briefing reports, participating in professional…

Presents six suggestions for personalizing professional development for middle school teachers: (1) encourage openness to change; (2) facilitate teachers' self-assessment; (3) urge teachers to be learners; (4) encourage a focus on the enjoyable in teaching; (5) advocate that teachers contribute to peers' growth; and (6) promote full lives beyond…

Examines the sixth target of the National Agenda for Achieving Better Results for Children and Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) by providing examples of training efforts that focus on improving the capacities and skills of educators as well as the supports behind them. Makes recommendations for improving the inservice and preservice…

Discusses the use of electronic portfolios by school library media specialists for professional development as a resume, an evaluation instrument, or other types of credential documentation. Includes guidelines for building a successful portfolio, including appropriate software selection; audience considerations; and technology skill…