High-quality preschool programs are essential to improving children's outcomes in reading achievement and leveling language and literacy disparities among students from diverse backgrounds. Grounded in state-of-the-art research evidence, this practice-oriented book demonstrates how preschool professionals can create, evaluate, and sustain…

Since the publication of the first edition of "Studying Your Own School", practitioner action research has become an established professional development practice in schools and teacher education programs.While the fundamentals of practitioner action research have not changed, the challenges of large scale reform have dramatically…

"Education Matters" is the monthly newsletter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), an organization dedicated to advancing the American teaching profession through personal growth, professional development, teacher advocacy and protection. This issue of the newsletter includes: (1) Helping New Teachers Succeed: Louisiana…

One-to-one computing, laptop learning, technology immersion: such initiatives are gaining momentum--and sparking excitement and controversy--in middle level and high schools, but the key to their success is more than cutting-edge technology. Henrico County Public Schools, a pioneer in educational technology in Virginia, launched a one-to-one…

The EDUCAUSE Advisory Committee for Teaching and Learning (ACTL) has identified the key technology-related teaching and learning issues in higher education for 2007. The 10 important teaching and learning issues are: (1) Establishing and supporting a culture of evidence; (2) Demonstrating improvement of learning; (3) Translating learning…

As student data analysis reports become more sophisticated, these reports reveal greater details on low performance skills. Availability of models and programs depicting detailed instructions or guidance for utilizing data to impact classroom instruction, in an effort to increase student achievement, has been lacking. This study examines the…

Professional Development Schools (PDSs) can potentially affect the quality of teaching and learning of students in Grades K-16. The authors describe the collaborations among teacher education, arts and science, and K-12 classroom teacher faculties involved in a 5-year PDS partnership at Kansas State University. A 15-member language arts team…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report a work-based learning innovation developed in response to the skills agenda affecting post-registration continuing professional development for nurses. Design/methodology/approach: The experience of learners, mentors and assessors using the "Skills Bank" are illustrated as part of an…

For this study I explored an elementary classroom with particular focus on how discursive practices became cultural resources for learners in formulating identities as individuals and group members. Through a Vygotskian perspective on development and learning, I focused on how using developing resources became consequential for both the collective…

School-university partnerships are a fundamental link to strengthen teacher education reform. The formation of new partnerships in which academic faculty and in-service teachers assume expanded roles holds promise as a primary avenue toward developing content and contextual expertise of preservice music teachers and strengthening pre-K-12…

This research review examines recent developments in computer-mediated communication (CMC) research for educational applications. The review draws on 170 recent research articles selected from 78 journals representing a wide range of disciplines. The review focuses on peer-reviewed empirical studies, but is open to a variety of methodologies. The…

Montessori middle schools can be immensely successful and highly beneficial to students. Traditional schools notice differences in students who come from Montessori backgrounds; they find them to be adaptable self-starters who often take on leadership roles. Prestigious high schools seek to recruit Montessori middle school graduates. As more…

In spite of the relatively long history of formalized music teacher preparation in the United States, surprisingly little research has focused on the question of how teachers learn to teach music. The authors of this article have proposed a theory of situated learning, building on the idea of apprenticeship. Several models of music teacher…

In September 2007 the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado State Board of Education jointly announced the launch of "Forward Thinking", an ambitious plan "to create a purpose-driven and dynamic system of educational leadership, service and support that relentlessly focuses on the learning of all students." The…

The Untied Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Competency Standards for Teachers (ICT-CST) project aims to improve teachers' practice in all areas of their work, combining ICT skills with innovations in pedagogy, curriculum, and school organization. It is also aimed at…