Teachers and administrators were surveyed to determine the extent to which AP Vertical Teams for English were implemented in schools. Results indicate that even though the goals of the AP Vertical Teams were only partially realized, there was some positive impact on student exposure to Pre-AP instruction and AP courses and student performance on…

The federal No Child Left Behind Act and its mandate for adequate yearly progress has placed unprecedented demands on districts to use evidence to support their school improvement efforts. Research has not yet determined if data-driven decision making leads to improvements in teaching and learning since most outcomes reported to date are based on…

This report summarizes evaluation results for AISD's federally-funded Title VI class size reduction program activities during the 2000-2001 school year.

Evaluation of a Domestic Violence Module taught in the University of California, Los Angeles medical school found it to be innovative, well planned, and well received by both students and faculty. Areas identified for improvement included opportunities for students to practice skills and receive feedback, consistency in content across classes, and…

Describes how Minot State University (North Dakota), a small rural university, successfully implemented an interdisciplinary program in international business in the face of financial and other challenges. Outlines the planning process, including a survey of high school seniors and international businesses in the state, program objectives, faculty…

Describes a developmental framework constructed to portray different ways teachers express their vision of fostering elementary students' interpersonal competence and skills in classrooms. Presents a case study and details four developmental awareness dimensions that can help in studying how teachers view their roles when working with students on…

Evaluated the impact that an association with the Teachers College of a midwestern university had on student achievement at schools designated as Professional Development Schools (PDSs). Data were collected from the state mandated achievement test and from ratings of the PDSs. Comparison of PDS and non-PDS sites showed no significant differences…

Ways in which undergraduate education is changing in terms of student diversity, financing, and time required for graduation are discussed, and ways these changes affect academic advising are considered. It is suggested that colleges provide faculty advisors with specific training and make advising an official and evaluated aspect of faculty…

Five articles examine key factors involved in the process of building and maintaining outstanding physical education programs in six school districts (supportive teacher relationships, teacher knowledge and reflection, program credibility, administrative support, and enabling factors). Each article is coauthored by a researcher and one or more…

Major changes in British higher education in the last five years are analyzed, including increasing student numbers, mandated government assessment, linking funding to assessment, modularized curriculum, and the competency movement. Comparisons are drawn with the United States, and the impact of the policy changes on one institution, the…

The underlying premise of infusion is that information about individuals with disabilities must be more systematically integrated throughout an entire curriculum. This article describes the infusion approach to teacher development, explaining three central premises, providing sample program applications for each premise, and discussing brain…

Describes a two-year, collaborative, university-school district teacher induction program in which beginning teachers' classroom performance was assessed using a behavioral observation instrument. Participants made significant gains, with first-year gains resulting from improvements in classroom organization and second-year gains related to…

A family medicine faculty professional association designed a 5-day intensive curriculum in addiction medicine taught to 165 graduate family practice faculty at 10 sites in 1990. Pre- and postsurveys showed significant increases in participants teaching addiction medicine in 8 of 11 clinical situations. The model is seen as applicable to other…

Describes changes that must be made within and outside of the school district to achieve urban school improvement. Successful improvement must involve support from the local, state, and federal governments, parents, and local neighborhoods. Within the district, there must be changes at the district, building, and classroom levels. (SM)

Reviews the history of the concept of equal educational opportunity, noting the shift from a separate-but-equal input definition to an opportunity-to-learn process interpretation. Also discussed are implications of the definition of opportunity to learn for professional development and the education of African-American students. (SLD)