This study examines teachers' classroom practices in response to the support for teacher thinking in the materials and designs a systematic research method for observing classroom teaching consistent with reform recommendations and adaptable for use on a large scale. The development of a method to evaluate complex classroom observations that…

This document contains the two issues of "Rural Mathematics Educator" published in 2002. This newsletter of the Appalachian Collaborative Center for Learning, Assessment, and Instruction in Mathematics (ACCLAIM) includes articles on rural mathematics education, as well as information and descriptions of professional development…

This paper presents the results of the first year evaluation of a 2-year project, "Comprehensive Accountability, Professional Development, and Assessment System for the Tri-County Charter School Partnership." This partnership of five charter schools was working to develop a replicable and comprehensive accountability system for each of…

Although many models of effective ways to teach writing exist, both the teaching and practice of writing are increasingly shortchanged throughout the school and college years. Of the three "Rs," writing is clearly the most neglected. Writing, always time-consuming for student and teacher, is today hard-pressed in the American classroom. The…

The President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) (1997) suggested that in order to achieve effective use of computers in schools, a ratio of four to five students per computer was needed. Market Data Retrieval (Education Week, 2001) reported, in the year 2000, the student-computer ratio in U. S. schools dropped to an…

It has been documented that in children's learning to read, it is the teacher, not the method, that makes a difference. The South Carolina Reading Initiative (SCRI) invested in teachers' knowledge as the most effective way to impact children's reading achievement. This paper presents the findings after the first year of an intensive professional…

This study investigated McREL's Rural Technology Initiative (RTI), an online professional development intervention that provides opportunities for teacher collaboration while delivering training to teachers and administrators on instructional improvement, including the use of technology for teaching and learning. The purposes of the study were:…

This book offers the notion of a "toolkit" to allow Teaching Assistants (TAs) and colleagues to review and revise their thinking and practice about real issues and challenges in managing individuals, groups, colleagues and themselves in school. In a rapidly changing educational environment the book focuses on combining the underpinning knowledge…

The current high-stakes accountability environment brought on by the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) places great pressure on school districts to demonstrate success by meeting yearly progress goals for student achievement and eventually demonstrating that all students achieve at high standards. In particular, many urban school…

The great paradox of school reform, according to the author of this short speech, is that, on the one hand, states mandate that student performance must improve; on the other hand, states do not act to improve the performance of educators. Even when the policies are the most progressive and the standards of the state are of the highest quality,…

This paper is part of a collection of 54 papers from the 48th annual conference of the Education Law Association held in November 2002. It addresses the convergence of education and law. It focuses on the growth in the field of education law and the need for educators and lawyers to work together with a knowledge of each others discipline. The…

In the current climate of accountability, the responsibilities of principals have increased. The new role of principals requires new forms of training, and standards-based reform is generating major changes in principal-preparation programs. This digest examines some of those changes. First, it looks at the effectiveness of principal-preparation…

The purpose of this professional development manual is to provide materials and activities for developing and using assessments in social studies. The manual came about through the efforts of the 25 state consortium Comprehensive Social Studies Assessment Project (CSSAP) to make the alignment of assessments, curricula, and instructional programs…

This inservice professional development module, part of the Alabama Reading Initiative, presents research summaries, notes for presenters, and activities. The Comprehension Strategies module explains the process of building comprehension in readers so that they read for meaning and understanding. There are six interferences to comprehension that…

This inservice professional development module, part of the Alabama Reading Initiative, presents research summaries, notes for presenters, and activities. The Comprehension Strategies module explains the process of building comprehension in readers so that they read for meaning and understanding. There are six interferences to comprehension that…