This collection focusing on Issues of Education at Community Colleges presents eleven essays by fellows in the mid-career fellowship program at Princeton University: (1) "Teaching the Methodology of Science: The Utilization of Microbial Model Systems for Biometric Analyses" by Joseph A. Adamo; (2) "Two Modes of Mathematics Instruction" by Simon I.…

This report outlines the most pressing challenges facing California K-12 educators as they seek to prepare students for work and citizenship in the 21st century. The report also explores public expectations about technology and education, and it touches on some of the ways in which the education community itself is attempting to harness new…

This paper describes a faculty development program initiated by the University of Georgia in 1964 to address a statewide faculty shortage. After 37 years, the program, Faculty Development in Georgia (FDIG), remains a successful example of inter-institutional cooperation. When FDIG began, 12 graduate assistantships were offered annually to faculty…

A teacher portfolio--a collection of information about a teacher's practice--gives teachers a voice in selecting, presenting, and interpreting the work they do. Although portfolios can be used for a variety of purposes and for teachers at any developmental stage, this book focuses on their use by practicing teachers for the purposes of evaluation…

In 1998, the Mississippi Legislature amended Mississippi Code Section 37-17 concerning the requirements for local school district professional development programs. The Department of Education then revised this portion of the model to reflect the statutory changes. This handbook contains the definition and purpose of professional development and…

Mentoring a student teacher not only affects student teacher development but may also have a concomitant effect on the mentor's development. In Turkey, with a long tradition of an apprenticeship model in learning to teach and a traditional teacher education program, how mentors respond to student teachers and how they use this experience to…

A RAND research team conducted a broad review of the general literature on the assessment of quality and productivity in education and professional development. The team also reviewed the documentation of organizations engaged in such assessment, interviewed experts, attended conferences, and conducted site visits to exemplary organizations. This…

This paper is intended to supplement the relatively scant amount of information available to principals on mentoring and mentor programs for beginning teachers. Suggestions include: learning the basic principles of effective new teacher mentor programs with respect to design, implementation, and evaluation; understanding the local new teacher…

This museum study advances knowledge on science teacher learning that takes place outside of the formal institution or college and describes the types of collaboration and resource sharing that are required to do so. A case study documents a "curriculum for teachers" initiative that evolved out of current science education reform. It highlights a…

According to national and state reform efforts in science and mathematics education, new forms of collaboration to foster integrated professional development for teachers are needed. These collaborations are seen as a means to involve practitioners and theoreticians in teacher education. Due to the participation of many players, collaborative…

This project's goal was to design a professional development model to improve the skills of elementary teachers in providing quality science instruction. Surveys have concluded that lack of training, time, and instructional materials are obstacles for elementary science teachers. Eight elementary schools in a mid-sized west central Texas school…

Results are presented from an exploratory study considering a comparison of NSF-funded professional development programs for inservice teachers related to mathematics education reforms of the 60s and the 90s. The research involved: identification of differences and commonalities existing between professional development programs for inservice…

This educational technology plan for South Carolina contains the following sections: (1) statewide progress related to the telecommunications infrastructure, professional development, video infrastructure, administrative infrastructure, and funding; (2) introduction to educational technology concepts, including major components and factors…

This report addresses reorganizing staff training efforts in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), North Carolina. Training includes both formal workshops and more informal growth opportunities for staff. Data sources for the report include surveys or focus groups from principals and central school district staff, a review of national…

This study investigated the perceptions of teachers regarding their own professional development along five distinct constructs (teaming, time, organizational support, communication, and professional responsibility). It also compared the perceptions of teachers utilizing a team-based approach to professional development with the perceptions of…