Followed two preservice physical education teacher cohorts, one from a Professional Development School collaborative, to determine the benefits of collaboration. Observations and interviews with student teachers, cooperating teachers, and administrators showed trends from apprehension to receptivity and recommitment to the teacher education…

Describes the National Science Foundation's Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI) to improve student performance in mathematics, science, and technology in 66 Appalachian counties. Discusses ARSI's principles of systemic change; the individual school as the unit of change; and ARSI activities in four areas: catalyst school and teacher…

This introductory article notes the special issue's purpose of highlighting ways to close gaps between research and practice in special education from the perspective of teacher preparation, inservice training, professional development, and collaborations between researchers and teachers in local schools. (DB)

This article describes the development and delivery of a special education program at West Virginia University that offers advanced training to early intervention practitioners entirely online. Initial evaluation data is presented on learning outcomes and participant perceptions. Results indicate the technology was both efficient and effective in…

A review of recent literature examines the growing shortage of qualified teachers, related to rising enrollments and high teacher turnover; various recruitment strategies; the needs of novice teachers; and well-designed induction and mentoring programs to support and retain new teachers. Sidebars describe efforts to recruit and train new teachers…

In an initiative called Sustaining and Strengthening Teachers, the University of Washington College of Education is partnering with other institutions and with school districts in four states to develop a "more coherent continuum of support" for new teachers. The program includes mentoring and continuing professional development through…

Investigated whether graduates of Professional Development Schools perceived themselves as change agents, implemented practices supporting change, and chose schools supportive of change. Teacher surveys indicated that most respondents believed they were change agents, that they were viewed as change agents, and that they practiced behaviors…

Forty-eight portfolio projects were completed by 65 urban, infant-toddler childcare workers who participated in a professional development program designed to increase the quality of childcare for children with and without disabilities. Results indicated a significantly higher number of strengths-based themes in child stories written after…

Australian librarians have participated in and contributed to international librarianship for over 125 years. Individual and collective practice is well regarded internationally since it is in dialogue with international concerns, is based on shared values and reaches high standards. Many are willing contributors to international initiatives,…

To close the achievement gap, the "No Child Left Behind" law calls for all students to make appropriate yearly progress. This presumably means that progress is being made by capable readers at the same time progress is being made by struggling readers. However, there appear to be unintended effects of "No Child Left Behind"…

It is perhaps too easy to suggest that rurality in educational terms has been largely missing from the pages of educational research texts. A search of the past few AARE annual conference papers throws up few papers on this topic; although an issue of "Australian Journal of Education" includes a paper on long-staying rural teachers (Boylan &…

Following the implementation of the new Curriculum 2005, outcomes-based education, professional development is one of South Africa's national goals in the continuing reform of its education system. Most school teachers are not familiar with teaching outcomes-based education and need training to be able to do so. Project UNIVEMALASHI, a…

Introduction: Having a mentor during residency is often linked to greater success in professional development. The present study compares changes in the percentage of residents with mentors in 1999 and in 2004, while considering current residents' perceptions of their mentors, with particular attention focused on what role race and gender might…

To promote large-scale science education reform, developers must create innovations that teachers can use to learn and enact new practices. As part of an urban systemic reform effort, science materials were designed to reflect desired reforms and to support teacher thinking by addressing necessary content, pedagogy, and pedagogical content…

There is a great need in many countries for extended and new teacher competence to meet the challenges of inclusive education. This paper presents a national programme for developing new teacher competence in secondary schools in Norway. The programme was developed and implemented during the 1990s, its aim being to start a continuing process in…