In this article, Vicki Jacobs argues that as the nation strives to improve the literacy achievement of U.S. adolescents, educators must reframe the current "crisis" as a critical point on a continuum of historical efforts to address the particular challenges of postprimary-grade reading. Specifically, Jacobs examines the definition of adolescent…

Cross-faculty and cross-disciplinary collaborations within higher education are rare, no doubt largely due to the location of academics within discipline- and faculty-based structures. When collaborations do occur, they are frequently problematic, even when the collaborators stem from closely related disciplines. However, collaborations are…

Early childhood educators have competing demands that minimize their ability to utilize evidence-based practices and respond to the challenges posed by culturally diverse classrooms. Using a case study method, we studied four female early childhood teachers at a university-affiliated preschool who developed mini-research projects using a mediated…

Weblogs, or blogs, are springing up all over the Internet, but their introduction into the educational arena affords this communication tool a new format and set of users. Generally, blogs have been considered a personal online journal where outside users can comment on an individual?s postings. Blogging as a classroom application allows for…

Despite the mandate of our national professional organizations to teach collaboratively, and the well-documented wisdom of doing so, roadblocks frequently litter the path to collaborative practice. Most teacher-librarians have encountered several; some still struggle daily. Suggestions offered in this article include: start by talking to teachers;…

Although community colleges are seen as "teaching institutions" there is little, if any, data to support this notion. This study looked at community college instructors' conceptions of effective teaching and their reported usage of effective teaching methods. Survey method was chosen as the most efficient means of collecting an amount of data that…

"The Learning Principal" is an eight-page newsletter published eight times a year. It focuses on the important and unique work of school principals. This issue includes: (1) Landmark Study Examines U.S. Professional Learning: Findings Point the Way to Improving Student Achievement (Stephanie Hirsh); (2) School Leadership: Q&A:…

This study compares the experiences and perceptions of new and experienced teachers in 235 schools in six western states (Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming) that have adopted the Reading First school reform initiative. Using previously collected data from surveys and interviews, the study considers four areas of the reform…

This case study analyzed interview data for the perceived support of professional development provided to new science teachers by a large suburban school district. Twelve new middle school teachers and 5 administrators were interviewed. Findings suggested the most useful adult learning occurred in the learning communities model of professional…

Inclusion in general education and attention to belonging are the first steps toward greater achievement for all students. This must be followed by improving the core teaching and curriculum to enhance learning of all students through differentiation, and teaching to multiple modalities and learning preferences. For these changes to occur,…

The Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) supports projects that are designed to reform teacher and principal compensation. Initially, the Department of Education (the Department) made two rounds of awards, in 2006 and 2007, to a total of 34 grantees. The specific goals of TIF were to reward teachers and principals for improving student achievement,…

Teaching has long been considered an isolated profession with little opportunity for collaboration. A major task for school leaders is to create improvement from within the school. Teachers are a valuable resource and each one possesses expertise in strategies and methodologies that can be a benefit to others. This action research explored the…

In this article, the author describes the Business Communication and Career Development Program offered at University of Cape Town. This is a one-year, postgraduate management diploma that is regarded as a mini-MBA. This diploma appealed to students from all over the country, students from other African nations, and a few international students…

Professional development in most schools has a predictable look and feel: summer workshops, brown-bag luncheon trainings, and the infamous in-service day. These events can be successful, and there is no doubt they have helped numerous educators become better at what they do. Web 2.0, however, opens up a new world of professional learning. This…

Although most schools are formally structured to support a hierarchical model of leadership, the culture within the education profession supports a rich egalitarian ethic. This article discusses the relational model of school leadership, which offers an alternative to the hierarchical model. The relational model views leadership as residing not in…