This paper describes an investigation of a mathematics and science focused summer program for urban minority secondary school students (N=103). The goal of the program was to enhance students' ability to succeed in high school science and mathematics courses. Situated on a college campus, the program worked with participants during four weeks of…

This paper examines endogenous causes of the supposed failure of education to meet educational demands. It proposes to arrange the endogenous causes of dissatisfaction with education as a continuum between two positions. The first relates to short-term causes. The second relates to structural causes. The paper assumes that both short-term and…

This paper explains that to bring about any form of educational equity for learners and teachers requires the realization that what is important is to educate the human disposition to understand the self. It identifies a unique relationship between the practical developmental phases of an educator toward a fully conscious professional and the…

This report describes findings from the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Professional Development Project, which was developed to inventory the alignment of dollars and professional development offerings to a set of professional development principles and district priorities; compare findings with other districts and best practices; articulate and…

This article discusses how rising student enrollment and a projected wave of teacher retirements will affect the teacher corps. It describes the possible shortage of teachers in the upcoming years as a problem more of specialization than outright shortage. Math and science teachers and special-education teachers will be hardest to find, as will be…

This book presents information from a 5-year research project on teacher leadership which offers evidence that the answer to school vitality lies largely in the redefinition of traditional leadership in education and in the elevation of the perception, status, and role of classroom teachers. The research involved interviews with teachers and…

This study examined the classroom practices of 265 elementary school teachers from the Chicago, Illinois, public school system who were participating in an intensive professional development program. The program included classroom coaching and mentoring activities in support of instructional sessions conducted over time. Based on more than 1,700…

Created to offer staff development to local school districts and instructors of preservice teachers in Texas, this guide explains how to design a successful intervention program that provides short-term, intensive, one-on-one instruction for children who need help with reading and writing. In these materials, participants will learn about…

This paper describes how one graduate student in a master's degree program for mathematics teachers moved from a state of confusion and anxiety to confidence in herself as a teacher researcher via a three-way collaboration among the teacher, her university professor, and her school supervisor. The second semester of her year-long Research in…

This paper reviews five prominent approaches to U.S. high school reform: small schools, applied learning, professional development/curriculum and instruction, youth development, and comprehensive/whole school reform. For each strategy, it offers: a description and "theory of action" of the reform approach; some examples of the reform in…

This set of mini-lessons contains staff meeting activities to help a school's staff understand large-scale standards-based assessment and promote student achievement through improved classroom assessment practice. These lessons contain a clear statement of what teachers need to know and be able to do with respect to student assessment. They…

This research synthesis provides insight into issues related to teacher diversity and faculty development. It begins with a review of the literature on models of professional development and the characteristics of effective professional development identified by research, with the knowledge that little, if any, research has addressed professional…

This article highlights the work of Ontario teachers who use research and inquiry in the classrooms as part of self-directed professional learning. It positions action research within the work of the Professional Affairs Department at the Ontario College of Teachers. It begins with a narrative account of the researcher's work as a program officer…

This paper describes the Kentucky Department of Education's (KDE's) multi-faceted approach to professional development and provides evidence for its impact on schools' achievement of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) goals. Data are drawn from the exemplary case study component of a larger research project. Many Kentucky school districts…

This document brings together a series of short papers that examine 20 educational issues affecting all 50 states in the U.S. The following issues are addressed: (1) accountability, with an emphasis on performance-based accountability systems and state-performance indicators; (2) alternative schools for disruptive students; (3)assessment,…