This book helps school administrators redesign the professional development model to better reflect the relevant issues and realities of today's schools. Using the metaphor of architecture, the book outlines innovative ways to create and implement such a transformation and highlights the rationale behind why these changes are so crucial. It also…

The great paradox of school reform, according to the author of this short speech, is that, on the one hand, states mandate that student performance must improve; on the other hand, states do not act to improve the performance of educators. Even when the policies are the most progressive and the standards of the state are of the highest quality,…

This paper is part of a collection of 54 papers from the 48th annual conference of the Education Law Association held in November 2002. It addresses the convergence of education and law. It focuses on the growth in the field of education law and the need for educators and lawyers to work together with a knowledge of each others discipline. The…

A study was conducted to determine whether teachers in districts using state-mandated (traditional) teacher evaluation systems or educators in districts using locally developed alternative teacher evaluation systems perceived teacher evaluation as having a stronger positive impact on school improvement, professional development, and student…

This manual guides educational institutions in evaluating themselves according to standards of good practice regarding goals and objectives, utilization of resources, effectiveness, and achievement. Reaccreditation, including a comprehensive self study, is required every 6 years following initial accreditation. The self study is followed by an…

This book provides educators who mentor novice teachers an opportunity to increase their awareness of the skills that are needed to mentor. Through the use of specific examples and role plays, teachers can learn how to work effectively with inexperienced teachers. The book helps mentors develop ways to interact positively with novice teachers and…

This paper discusses the use of paraprofessionals in the classroom. Section 1 examines the present situation, framing issues confronting the field with regard to training and utilization of paraprofessionals. It focuses on: distinctions in the roles and responsibilities of teachers and paraprofessionals; an analysis of duties performed by…

This paper focuses on the management and change domains of educational technology (ET), namely the need for ET leadership in higher education. Leadership issues are examined with respect to instructional development, faculty development, and instructional technology/media management in higher education and the roles ET practitioners can play.…

The concept of EPSS (electronic performance support systems) originated in business settings. Recently, there have been many attempts to apply the concept to schools: educational EPSSs (E-EPSSs) have become available on the Web. However, there is little evaluation research and few evaluation frameworks for these emergent E-EPSSs. The primary…

The study contains a total of 44 inservice or practicing teachers who were enrolled in professional development courses. A novel survey was created to determine a teacher's perspective of his/her school culture, as well as to measure a teacher's science achievement, math achievement, science self-efficacy, and math self-efficacy. The survey was…

This paper describes the implementation and assessment of a unique model of professional development for teacher educators. Southwest Texas State University's (SWT's) College of Education graduates and certifies more teachers than any other institution in the state; SWT has had a professional development school since 1991. The View and Doing…

Current research into educational technology often uses partnerships between teachers, researchers, and technology designers to study the introduction of new technology in the classroom. However, these partnerships involve commitments of time from teachers and technology reform projects. In addition, these partnerships often focus on student…

The short history in the field of online learning of the UNITEC Institute of Technology (New Zealand) provides a story of changing attitudes and usage at three levels--organizational, tutorial, and student. From the first course designed for flexible delivery in 1994, UNITEC has progressed through three distinct phases of course development (i.e.,…

This executive summary of Georgia Reading Excellence Act Demonstration Sites (GA READS) includes the Reading Excellence overview; Georgia's plan and goals; state activities; a timeline; local activities; and a budget. The overview states that the Reading Excellence Act was authorized to carry out the following purposes: teach every child to read…

This report is the result of a national conference convened in December 2005 by the American Association of Community Colleges in partnership with the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This event, the Teaching by Choice Leadership Summit on Community College…