Recognizing the difficulties that first-time faculty face, the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) (Maryland) developed an extended orientation program for new faculty based on the principles of learning communities: shared knowledge, shared knowing, and shared responsibility. In 1998, CCBC committed to a 5-year strategy of becoming a…

This report discusses preliminary findings of Project "Getting Up to Spe-ed", a project designed to ensure undergraduate education students are well versed in inclusionary practices and endowed with the skills necessary to make appropriate modifications, to inform undergraduate faculty of the latest rules/regulations and trends regarding students…

This collection of papers reports on the emerging thinking in staff development and organizational learning in schools and districts, framing issues which have critical implications for staff development. There are 10 papers in four sections. Section 1, "Context," features: (1) "School Reform Requires a New Form of Staff…

This pedagogical framework describes how the New York City Board of Education plans to improve education using information technologies. By providing advanced Internet services connecting students and their families, as well as teachers, schools staff, and the interested public, to a high-quality educational ISP/Portal, available to anyone at any…

Emerging research suggests that providing personal computers to students, in combination with a constructivist teaching approach, holds promise for significant gains in student achievement. As we begin a process of using one-on-one learning with laptop computers in a large urban district, it is important to share information concerning the design,…

Illinois' policy makers recognize the importance of reading competency to success in school. In this paper we summarize the findings of several recent national reports on reading and consider their findings for Illinois' reading initiatives. The paper also provides an overview of reading programs and certification in Illinois, including the…

This statewide public opinion survey highlights new information about the priorities of Californians, their attitudes about spending on education, their opinions about key issues such as teacher qualifications, and priorities for the steps the state should take to improve its system of public education. The survey shows Californians believe that…

Key elements of effective teacher development include a focus on curriculum and job-situated problems, hands-on opportunities to apply learning, and collaboration among teachers (Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman, & Yoon, 2001; Hiebert, Gallimore, & Stigler, 2002; National Staff Development Council, 2001). Program developers at The Education…

This guide presents current research and thinking about teacher evaluation and combines that research with practice. Chapters contain illustrations and examples to make a research-practice connection and present a comprehensive approach to designing, implementing, and monitoring quality teacher-evaluation systems. Chapters include: (1) "Improving…

A team of library and computing staff was used to develop an Internet training program at the University of Limerick (Ireland). Its objectives were to present the Internet as both an information source and publishing medium, and to train faculty and staff in the effective use of these applications. The team adopted an iterative approach to the…

The first SERVE Regional Forum on School Improvement brought together 300 educators from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. These proceedings include: introductory information on SERVE, an introduction to the forum, the forum agenda, comments from participants, summaries of the keynote presentations, and…

In 1993, the Missouri Legislature passed the Outstanding Schools Act, providing funding to create nine regional professional development centers (RPDC's) throughout Missouri. The goal was to create a decentralized, responsive model for supporting public schools in meeting the Act's mandates and to offer natural links between teacher education…

This paper explores the challenges facing educators to incorporate "informatics"--computer education in the broad context of information technology--into the curriculum for K-12 students, and "capacitation" for teachers, the continuing professional education which enables and empowers teachers to face these demands. The…

The 52 abstracts in these 29 serial issues describe innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Sample topics include a checklist for conference presenters, plan to retain students, faculty home page, improvements in writing instruction, cooperative learning, support for high risk students, competitive colleges and the…

This project's goal was to develop a network of educational signposts and electronic textbooks to support K-12 student learning and curriculum articulation across eastern Connecticut and to enhance teacher education and graduate programs at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU). Through support from an AAUP-CSU grant, selected ECSU graduate…