Science journals are wonderful tools. They offer a glimpse into children's science understandings, and they are both diagnostic and pedagogically informative to teachers. Examining and reflecting on children's journal work lets teachers embed assessment in curriculum and instruction; however, effectively analyzing children's journal writing and…

Professional development that leads to change in teacher practice is hard to find, especially professional development focused on technology integration. The Teacher Institute for Curriculum Knowledge about the Integration of Technology (TICKIT) successfully answers both challenges. This article reports on a study aimed at understanding the impact…

This paper considers two examples of recent policies affecting teachers' work, Performance Threshold Assessment in England and Chartered Teacher status in Scotland. Through tracing their origins and motivations, a comparative analysis is offered, which seeks to explore the extent of the influence of national contexts on developments in the…

Mid-career faculty are the keystone of the academic enterprise. They fill essential instructional, program development, administrative, and citizenship roles at their institutions. They form a bridge between faculty generations by mentoring new colleagues and assuming leadership duties as their senior colleagues move toward retirement. Mid-career…

In the wake of new educational initiatives for professional development, interest in how, when, and what teachers learn is growing. Traditionally, most research into teacher learning has been located in pre-service and in-service interventions and in studies of classroom practice. Few studies investigate how teachers learn in informal settings,…

Leaving her classroom to become a district resource teacher allowed Donna W. Hanak to experience a professional learning community. Inspired by the experience and her research into the processes of teaching and learning, she returned to teaching, able to create "authentic learning relationships" with students

When STARS reform efforts were launched in 2000, teacher training in assessment was seen as crucial to the success of the program. The STARS reform efforts focus on both supporting the implementation of quality classroom assessment practices and implementing a district-based accountability system. The training programs described in this article…

Preparing youngsters for an aging society requires teachers who keep pace with health science research. The Stealth Gerontology[TM] program educates teachers regarding aging-related issues. The design and assessment of the program are reported in this paper. Teachers attended sessions including direct instruction and hands-on participation (e.g.,…

The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education (No Child Left Behind) Act is questioned with reference to the requirement that every state ensure that all special education teachers are highly qualified and are receiving high-quality professional development. The conclusion is that the act lacks clear definitions, realistic goals,…

Regardless of the quality of their preservice preparation programs, new teachers often leave the teaching profession; special education teachers are almost twice as likely to leave as general education teachers and more likely to leave within the first five years of employment (Claycomb, 2000; Crutchfield, 1997). Induction programs typically…

A growing body of literature suggests that when schools become professional communities there are expected benefits in terms of teacher learning, school improvement and student achievement. In this article the concept of professional communities is examined for certain subject departments in Dutch secondary schools. The authors report on research…

Aurora (Colorado) Public Schools responded to the Colorado State Model Content Standards for Reading and Writing and the accountability measures attached to the state assessments by implementing the Aurora Achievement Initiative in 2001. Originating from literature on best practices and large-scale school reform, the goal of the districtwide…

The word "technology" has evolved through several different meanings during the recent history of education. In 1985, the American Industrial Arts Association changed its name to the International Technology Education Association. This change reflected dissatisfaction with traditional "shop" courses, designed to prepare…

In recent years, different researchers and research agencies, teacher associations, national education organizations, and the U.S. Department of Education have published lists of the characteristics of effective professional development to guide school leaders in their improvement efforts. This study analyzed 13 of the better known of these lists…

This year marks the 15th year of a program called "Professors as Writers" at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. The first meeting was a half-day workshop at the end of a spring semester to help faculty launch the writing they wanted to do over the summer. The program has grown over the years and now includes monthly retreats, as…