The benefits of using storytelling to encourage literacy in children with diverse learning needs are discussed, including providing a social context for literacy, helping children develop interesting ideas, encouraging role-taking and inferential comprehension, developing literary themes, and tapping children's prior knowledge. Tips for the…

Wraparound team members (n=20) identified as teaming experts rated 109 items that support team effectiveness across six categories: team goals, member roles and membership, communication, cohesion, logistics, and outcomes. Items in the team outcomes, goals, and cohesion categories were ranked most critical to team effectiveness. (Contains…

A survey of 500 preschool teachers found a majority view individualized intervention on specific goals to be important for all children, they would like to receive all of the listed forms of assistance from special educators, and they want special educators to be involved in collaborative roles in their classrooms. (Contains references.)…

This article describes the challenges faced by a first-year special educator of children with emotional disturbances. In addition to academic diversity and behavioral challenges, there were also issues related to working with a team of special educators and being the newcomer. These issues included instructional time, behavioral management, and…

This article explains how elementary teachers can link performance-based assessments and student self-assessments to the curriculum for improved learning. It provides graphic organizers, rubrics, and examples of student writings, and discusses ways to connect assessment and instruction, benefits for students (feedback and instruction), and…

Recognizing staff development's importance, the Austin (Texas) Independent School District implemented an ambitious districtwide program that provides all K-8 teachers with training to implement mathematics standards. An evaluation found that improved math instruction was influenced by school culture, principal support, and teacher collaboration.…

Argues for the need to put into practice policies of multicultural education using case studies of three individuals from three different cultural backgrounds. These individuals used their own cultural diversity as a model of successful intercultural teamwork in planning and implementing a multicultural education course for undergraduate teacher…

Designs for Learning is a California-based professional-development program organized around 10 design elements central to teachers' teaching and learning process: student data, planning, release time, leadership development, content and pedagogy, inquiry, collaboration, adult learning, administrative and community support, and accountability.…

Addresses the past four decades of Quebec's teacher education reform, noting the resulting interplay between university-based teacher educators and school-based practitioners. The paper highlights four historical periods, explaining that even at the oldest North American French-speaking university, the evolving forces at play within teacher…

Investigated the nature of professional interactions of two teams of middle school mathematics teachers involved in a schoolwide professional development project centered around increasing teachers' collegial discourse in order to improve practice. Findings indicated that the collegial interactions had little impact on one team but drastically…

Describes four key elements typically seen in schools that show continuous improvement in student results. Such schools' cultures are permeated by a shared focus on student learning, a strong culture of reflective practice, a collaborative environment where teachers see colleagues and parents as important partners, and an ever increasing…

Examined the effectiveness of collaborative action research teaming as a professional development mechanism to address the demands of contemporary classrooms through formalized sharing between groups of inservice and preservice teachers. Data from observations, interviews, and student artifacts indicated that effective teaming depended…

Elliot Eisner, Lee Jacks Professor of Education and Art, Stanford University, imparts his thoughts about the salient features of schools he believes America needs, for example, having principals spend about one-third of their time in the classroom. (PKP)

Investigated the collaborative-research process between an elementary physical educator and a university researcher, describing what the process meant to each during their long-term collaboration. Data from participant observation with an autobiographical component indicated that there were two major themes: shared privilege and shared…

Effective principals realize that learning support-teachers can provide job-embedded staff development for general-education teachers. They build schedules allowing the kind of cooperative planning that makes inclusive block scheduling successful. Principals must also share control of the master schedule and support major changes in teaching…