This report describes some of the current efforts to improve teacher quality in the southeastern U.S.states. It speaks to the importance of states informing each other in crafting their efforts to create more coherent systems of teacher development linked to improving student achievement, asserting that everything that must be done to ensure that…

Is educational technology effective in increasing student learning? If technology is an effective tool in the classroom, how can teachers best be trained to use it appropriately? An experiment was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a constructivist math class utilizing computer technology as well as other tools. The study occurred in a…

Research shows that teacher quality affects student achievement more greatly than any other school-based variable. The No Child Left Behind Act requires a "highly qualified" teacher in every classroom by the 2005-2006 school year and achievement gains by all students over time. These realities give policymakers a strong incentive to focus on…

A study assessed the teaching/learning environment of one professional development school in a variety of ways that included a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures. Results were analyzed using the eight scales of the "School Level Environment Questionnaire" (SLEQ) as categories: Student Support, Affiliation, Professional…

This publication assembles the most current research on professional development and change for teachers looking to accelerate their professional growth and the improvement of student learning. Designed as a how-to resource, it reviews the stages of building an effective professional development system. The seven chapters are: (1) "Developing a…

This summary examines public opinion research about teacher quality and strategies for improving U.S. teaching quality. Researchers examined surveys of teachers, school board members, principals, students, and the public. This review investigates: what constitutes quality teaching; how to define good teachers; the importance of teacher quality;…

This guide on work force development legislation is designed for professional development of new adult education instructors in Florida. It is one of three manuals developed to supplement a previous series of professional development manuals. Section 1 provides an overview of work force development legislation, focusing on the following new…

This practicum was designed to provide a means for students in the graduate education program at Nova Southeastern University (Florida) to demonstrate that they can successfully incorporate Internet information and communication technologies into teaching and professional development. Goals were: (1) to develop a means for assessing attainment of…

The Education Graduates' Post-Degree Learning Needs Study, conducted in fall 1996 and winter 1997, examined the post-degree learning needs of faculty/college of education graduates. Research activities included a literature review, a written survey of education graduates, research in two university graduate classes, telephone interviews with…

Telematics for Teacher Training (T3), as a European support action, has prepared the profession of European teacher training for the infusion of Telematics into courses, plus the enhancement of training provision via telematics applications. T3 Consortium partners included eight teacher training institutions across eight European countries.…

Professional development that aims to transform teaching and build substantial knowledge of science and mathematics content is not a simple task of "design and implement"; rather, it involves remaining alert to the changing context in which professional developers are working, the stages of development teachers move through as they develop new…

This research investigated the impact of combining two approaches to inservice teacher education (action research and train the trainer) on teacher attitudes and practices. The inservice developed assessment approaches aligned with cooperative learning instructional approaches. Teachers were introduced to a model of collaborative assessment aimed…

This publication presents key findings from the New York City Teacher Survey, which examined teachers' perceptions regarding their professional preparation, how their perceptions differed according to type of preparation they received, and whether perceptions differed from those of a national sample of teachers and from a sample of teachers who…

This study examined the role of teacher capacity building in the Dallas Reading Plan, a 5-year, systemic reform initiative committed to enhancing students' reading achievement, emphasizing the redesigned Reading Academy, a trainer of trainers delivery system that supported educators' knowledge acquisition. Implementation and outcome data were…

Multiple qualitative methodologies were used to describe and analyze the Maternal and Child Health Training Program (MCH), including a review of FY1999 continuation applications for all 101 projects; site visits to 31 training projects; focus groups with state Title V program staff and federal regional MCH consultants; and interviews with 110…