The effects of a nearly complete standards-based system in mathematics were evaluated. The Pittsburgh Public School system, Pennsylvania, has adopted a standards-based system that has been largely put into place between 1992 and 1998. The program includes content and performance standards, standards-based assessments, standards-based instructional…

States, school districts, and individual schools have created standards that indicate what content teachers should teach and students should learn. This document suggests that in order to have substantive effect in mathematics and science classrooms, other components must be addressed and linked to the content standards which include establishing…

This evaluation of mini-conferences conducted for Alabama teachers who completed training in the 1996 Summer Space Orientation for Professional Educators (SOPE) examines the effectiveness of follow-up sessions for teachers (N=69) and provides baseline data on teachers' knowledge of and attitudes toward teaching science. Conclusions about the 1996…

To make the transition from traditional assessment, which was often counterproductive, to an array of assessment applications that will be more constructive for students, teachers must expand their vision of the relationship between assessment and effective schools. Assessment must be used to inform classroom decision making, and it must become…

"My Learning Curve" is a visual rapid appraisal technique that was developed in Canada for exploratory use in one of a series of loosely coupled evaluation studies of a redesigned teacher education plan. It is designed to allow teacher candidates enrolled in the program to depict quickly and visually, rather than verbally, their…

This book provides a critical examination of the major issues that social work education and practice must confront if social work is to remain as a mainline profession. The book explores issues that are not normally covered in social work literature, such as the challenge of reconstructing the social work profession, the use of technology in…

Title IV Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities is a compensatory education program supported by funds from the U.S. Department of Education through the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1994. The purpose of Title IV is to enable schools to supplement local efforts to eliminate violence and the use of drugs, tobacco, and…

Founded in 1910 as the Camp Directors' Association of America, the American Camping Association (ACA) is the largest organization serving the organized camping industry. Over 5,500 members come from all segments of the camp profession. This annual report for 1999 describes ACA activities in support of organizational commitments. These commitments…

A case study, part of a larger 5-year Excellence in English (EIE) research project, focused on the Dade County (Florida) School District's Division of Language Arts/Reading. Over a 2-year period, four middle and high school English programs in Dade County were studied as part of the EIE project; this part of the project focused on the professional…

These proceedings, from a Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program (CSRD) Invited Symposium for Lightspan Reform Model users highlight group participants' experiences in implementing a comprehensive school reform process using the Lightspan "Achieve Now" education program. They shared in various ways how this skill-and-content…

Supported by funds and technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Education Innovation Challenge, the WEB Project has built several dynamic online networks that foster professional growth and measure improvement in student learning. The classrooms and networks of teachers and community professionals involved include work in music, visual…

Slogans are commonly used to advocate a point or view or a political stance. In education many slogans are used. One of these is the phrase "research shows that..." Many issues must be considered in interpreting research results, and the statement must be considered carefully. "Cooperative learning" is a slogan often advanced,…

A study was conducted to find ways to identify Wake County, North Carolina, public school students who need additional assistance in the early grades before they would be taking the North Carolina end-of-grade (EOG) tests. Also explored was the focus of assistance, since the EOG tests do not provide diagnostic information at the individual level…

Continuing professional development is an important activity for most teachers in the K-12 system, and it is even required of some teachers in order to maintain certification (Maldonado, 2002). Professional development programs are predicated on the assumption that the teachers who receive the training will in turn positively affect student…

Defining competencies of student affairs and other professionals in higher education who plan, implement, and offer programs and services is the mark of a maturing profession. This document seeks to define a list of necessary attributes for professionals in higher education that is broader than competencies and includes other markers of…