Describes professional development schools and how they provide a seamless field experience for prospective teachers. Provides historical background information on the Holmes Group and the development of the sites. Contains 30 references. (DDR)

A study examined state legislative and policy provisions for gifted students and state efforts to address the seven initiatives outlined in U.S. Department of Education's "National Excellence: A Case for Developing America's Talent." Findings indicate some progress in teacher preparation, enhanced curricular standards, and efforts to match world…

Describes a California professional development school program, discussing various cross-institutional roles and highlighting two individuals who spanned the boundaries between the participating high school and the university. Their success depended on allegiance to the partnership, flexibility with time, focus on intrinsic rewards, emphasis on…

Discusses the dilemmas faced by middle and high school teachers whose students are struggling to read, yet whose training does not prepare them to solve this problem. Describes the Reading Initiative, a program that will support teacher development through study groups to help teachers improve both the teaching and learning of reading through…

Discusses teachers' involvement in research on teaching, examining Australian research and professional development on Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL). An evaluation framework to facilitate cross-case and cross-context analysis of such research is proposed, recommending that TESOL researchers first characterize TESOL professional…

Reports on a one-year examination of two urban teacher study groups. Data from participant observations and journal notes indicated that there were five themes: tensions about knowledge, alliance with traditional professional development structures, ways of working with one another, understanding the educational needs of English language learners,…

Italy's Special Project for Foreign Languages addresses problems resulting from the lack of preservice education by retraining inservice, secondary level, foreign language teachers and thus, improving foreign language education standards. This annual program includes three-hour sessions and intensive eight-hour days throughout the school year.…

Describes a professional development project called the Learning Network, launched in 1998. The Learning Network can serve as a model for the integration of technology with interdisciplinary curriculum development and for the creation of a virtual museum. Discusses how the Learning Network incorporates the Massachusetts's learning standards. (CMK)

Equity as absence of discrimination is an outdated concept and a measurement nightmare. Focusing on (academic) results can strengthen educational equity and contribute to economic opportunity; in fact, quality and equity go together. California's concentration of resources on professional development should help more students meet higher…

Small school size (fewer than 400 students) makes possible success-enhancing structures and practices: strong, ongoing student/adult and home/school relationships; flat organizational structure; concentration on a few goals; ongoing, site-specific professional development; a respectful culture; and community engagement. Implementation barriers are…

Discusses teaching Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. history at an urban, minority high school. Addresses student recruitment; using a summer assignment; notetaking and the Document-Based Quiz, various teaching strategies; preparing and reviewing for the AP examination; using special events; and the importance of professional development and…

Describes a California high school's collaborative teacher observation model. The Teacher-Guided Observation/Curriculum Analysis is a continuously evolving instructional and curricular development program that recognizes teachers' need to be treated like professionals, have nonthreatening growth opportunities, assume primary responsibility for…

Examines strategies for mitigating problems encountered by first-year principals, highlighting the successes of mentoring programs. Describes mentoring programs in several Catholic schools, indicating that mentors assist the new principal bridge the gap between the theory and the reality of educational administration. (MAB)

Studied role of 4 factors in scholarly writing of tenured female faculty (n=59) who have significant publication records: personal qualities, graduate program, organizational or institutional supports, and participation in professional associations. Findings suggest that participants generally struggled to assume the role of intellectual authority…

In 1992 and 1993, the Boston Public Schools and Boston Teachers' Union contracts established school-based management as a schoolwide policy. Now Boston's school-site councils are focusing on varied educational improvement issues, including educational missions, effective teaching strategies, genuine parent involvement, a student-centered…