States have fashioned wildly different ways of judging whether teachers already in the classroom meet the federal standard of "highly qualified," raising the possibility that teachers in some states will not face the high hurdle that Congress intended. However, to be deemed highly qualified under the federal law, teachers must hold a…

This essay traces two teachers' experiences crossing spaces in a combined literature and history seminar where students explore American culture and diversity and engage in service learning. The model has evolved from paired classes with collaborative activities to a student-centered environment promoting active learning. This article offers…

Induction has become an increasingly popular strategy for school districts across the country that seek solutions for high attrition rates among teachers who are new to the profession. In Illinois public schools, the attrition rate among new teachers can be as high as 40 percent after only five years on the job. Such turnover levels are costly for…

As a part of the teacher licensure program at the graduate level at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the M.Ed. Licensure candidate is required to complete an action research project during a 3-semester-hour course that coincides with the 9-semester-hour student teaching experience. This course, Education 590 Culminating…

A fundamental issue inherent to education policy is whether teacher qualifications such as certification status, degree level, preparation, and experience predict student achievement. While existing research provides some direction regarding the potential importance of these qualifications for productivity in secondary schools, less is known about…

Step by Step (Early Childhood Program) is an education reform program to engender democratic principles and practices in young children and their families. The authors interviewed 15 teacher participants in the yearlong Step by Step training to learn how the training changed their teaching practices and how their new practices affect the children…

The authors investigated the impact of professional development programs for English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teachers on their classroom practice and on the way that teacher efficacy and organizational support at the school level relate by interacting with years of teaching experience. The authors collected data by using questionnaires…

Beliefs regarding classroom management vary among teachers and play an important role in effective instruction. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the differences between the beliefs of experienced teachers and novice teachers regarding classroom management styles. Within this study, classroom management is defined as a…

Information in this report was derived from the Basic Educational Data System of New York State and the state's teacher certification files. The first section of the report (tables 1 through 6) deals with information about personnel by professional field and is concerned with positions rather than with people. Those who work in more than one field…

This study examined the role of college faculty work outside their higher education institution. The study took place at a mid-sized comprehensive state university in the rural Midwest. Faculty (N=400) were surveyed regarding the critical events in their careers. Analysis of the 179 usable questionnaires involved grouping of career events…

This paper suggests that a way of overcoming the conflict experienced by student teachers doing field work when their field-work teachers often have different philosophies than those taught on the college campus is to model a true learner-centered approach in teacher education courses. A stronger experience than using cooperative groups or having…

A study hypothesized that pedagogical beliefs, as well as method course experience, would be important and related influences on how preservice teachers used portfolios. During a year-long study, 20 elementary education majors were followed as they moved through methods courses into student teaching and their first year as classroom teachers.…

This publication looks at approaches and strategies available to beginning and experienced teachers to increase their effectiveness in the classroom setting. The book highlights ways in which a classroom may be organized and curriculum decisions made to encourage students to achieve their academic potential. Chapters cover the following topics:…

Finding ways to improve the assessment of beginning teachers is part of an effort to assure that fully certified teachers possess the professional knowledge and skills necessary for competence in contemporary classrooms. Research done by the California New Teacher Project (CNTP) suggests that some knowledge and skills cannot be fully learned in…

This paper examines teachers' practical theories of teaching and ways in which individual teachers participate in a social solidarity, based on Richard Rorty's idea of solidarity as clinging to one's own ethnocentrism to understand differences between right and wrong, good and bad. Social solidarity is seen as holding people together, defining…