Homework is a leading factor for improving academic performance among students who have the ability to work independently and adequate parental support to complete homework assignments. When parents are interested in children's homework, students are more likely to successfully complete their assignments. Teacher support is also necessary to…

Since 1992, the Southeastern University and College Coalition for Engineering Education (SUCCEED) has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to improve undergraduate engineering education. Faculty from eight southeastern colleges of engineering have developed innovations in key focus areas such as freshmen engineering, design, tools…

This brief examines the underlying research-based rationale for the American Federation of Teachers' (AFT) policy on beginning teacher induction, noting that among the most often-cited reasons young teachers give for leaving teaching is lack of support, and considerable evidence shows that induction is an effective means of retaining them. Five…

This handbook is designed to help part-time and adjunct faculty who need professional enhancement but do not have the time for formal coursework. The focus is on the modern student, who differs in many ways from the traditional college student. The book provides more advanced strategies that those presented in the earlier "Handbook for…

As school districts nationwide work to implement the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, they may be inadvertently accelerating the departure of experienced teachers and failing to adequately support new teachers. The Alliance for Excellent Education believes that this problem requires a two-pronged solution: financial incentives for…

This study compared New American Schools (NAS) classrooms to non-NAS classrooms in the high poverty San Antonio, Texas, school district. NAS promoted whole-school reform to address lagging achievement and lackluster school reform attempts that produced little meaningful change. The study investigated whether NAS designs extended beyond changes in…

Having work published is an important part of a teacher's professional development, but many educators may be uncertain about how to write for publication. This "how-to" guide for teachers aims to make it easy by adopting a reader-friendly tone and a can-do attitude. The guide explains the role of thinking in writing for publication and…

The feature article of this newsletter issue describes a course designed for the professional development of math teachers that uses inquiry-based classroom learning and presents articles on inquiry-based science and mathematics teaching. Other articles include: (1) "An Inquiry-Based Mathematics Classroom" (Lesley Lee); (2)…

This paper is the third in a series of reports that examine the impact of No Child Left Behind, the newly revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act, on state policy and policymaking. It focuses on teaching quality. The first section explains that a highly qualified teacher is one who has been fully licensed or certified by the state and not…

The purpose of this paper is to examine two InterMath pilot workshops and how they were able to meet the goals of learner-centered professional development. The paper focuses on the experiences of the learners, offers insights from each case as well as across cases, and provides suggestions to improve the experience for later learners. The data…

Teaching is a form of public service that may give personal fulfillment to those who are involved in it. It is important to highlight the personal dimensions of teaching along with the professional dimensions to help illustrate the teacher's role as a public servant. This paper discusses the practice of one Portuguese kindergarten teacher…

This book reports on the professional development program Model Science Lab Project which provides a new perspective of science teaching and learning to both teachers and students. During the project, participants benefited from additional time during the study year, science content training, pedagogy training, curriculum resources, reduced…

This study surveyed 553 Kansas beginning teachers regarding their perceptions of support and job satisfaction during their first year. Overall, respondents were most likely to experience traditional orientation activities. They were less likely to experience teaching conditions that took into account their unique needs as beginners and less likely…

A lesson study initiative was implemented in 25 high schools/learning centers in the Jefferson County, Kentucky, school district. The lesson study initiative is a professional development process in which teachers collaborate to systematically examine their practice and to improve the effectiveness of the experiences they provide to their…

This paper presents two reactions to the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences' (CBMS') "The Mathematical Education of Teachers" (August 2001). The reactions were written by professors of mathematics at American universities. It is concluded that the report benefits from an underlying assumption that an alliance of concept and…