Teachers in urban schools, on gaining seniority, frequently leave these culturally diverse and complex schools, only to be replaced by new teachers who are less prepared. This exploratory study examined the staffing patterns of elementary schools from 1991-1992 to 1993-1994 in the San Diego City School District (California), focusing on the policy…

This study examined the perceptions of experienced teachers who had taken on formal roles as mentor teachers. Case studies were developed for each of 10 participants, of whom 7 were neophyte mentors. Each mentor was interviewed four times throughout the school year, while their mentees were each interviewed twice. Mentors were also observed in the…

The inclusion of advisory in the programs of middle and high school students can be a constructive innovation. Nonetheless, the underlying premise of advisory--that schools have a responsibility to meet important non-academic needs--does contain some ambiguity. The use of classroom time devoted to advisory for adolescents is investigated in this…

This paper proposes a five-step process by which to analyze whether the salary ratio between junior and senior college faculty exhibits salary compression, a term used to describe an unusually small differential between faculty with different levels of experience. The procedure utilizes commonly used statistical techniques (multiple regression…

As late as 1913, half of U.S. schoolchildren were enrolled in the country's 212,000 one-room schools--the heart of American education. Although only about 428 of these schools remain in use as of 1994, the country school continues to be a powerful cultural symbol. The first section of this book examines country schools' educational and cultural…

Entrance into the teaching profession is often a situation of disappointment or "reality shock." As shown by previous researchers, teacher burnout is higher in the beginning of the career. Among the causes are inadequate initial teacher training and the lack of initial motivation. In order to study this phenomenon, the transition of 214…

The framework for teaching described in this book is based on PRAXIS III: Classroom Performance Assessments criteria developed by the Educational Testing Service. This framework identifies those aspects of a teacher's responsibilities that have been documented through empirical studies and theoretical research as promoting improved student…

This framework defines a vision of the knowledge, skills, and abilities that should characterize California's beginning teachers in their initial years of service. Discussion and development of the framework are part of the California New Teacher Project, a pilot study of policy alternatives to enhance the success of novice teachers. Following a…

This study was conducted to investigate differences in the pedagogical content knowledge of beginning and experienced teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL), with respect to student and curriculum knowledge, lesson planning, interactive teaching, and postlesson reflections. Participants in the study, two beginning and two experienced…

This study was conducted to examine the extent to which one's demographic characteristics, previous experience, aptitudes, and attitudes may be indicative of probable success in learning about computers. Information was derived from two National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded programs designed to retrain experienced teachers to become K-12…

This book, a research-based text, describes peer observation and assistance (POA), a method designed to isolate behaviors and skills shown to raise student achievement levels and the process by which teachers can help their peers improve performance in these areas. The volume is organized into 10 chapters: (1) Teachers Helping Teachers: The…

This paper describes a mentor teacher program for beginning instructors established at The Language Center of the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium). The paper begins by noting several challenges experienced by beginning teachers that need to be recognized by mentors, after which the objectives, procedures, and guidelines of the project are…

This paper develops the idea of "the authority of experience" to explain the unease about teacher education represented in comments of 19 graduate students enrolled in a preservice physics education methods course which combined on-campus classes and teaching placements. Interviews with the student teachers after the first half of the…

This study compared several facets of teacher education between Japan and North Carolina. Similarities and differences in elementary science teachers' perceptions of the academic backgrounds in Japan and North Carolina were evaluated as well as similarities and differences in elementary teachers' perceptions of classroom practices in Japan and…

This study examined the relationship between environmental factors of teaching climate for beginning teachers and the desire to remain in teaching. Data from 23,088 Public School Teacher Questionnaires from the Schools and Staffing Survey longitudinal database were analyzed to determine the effect of environmental demographic factors…