This paper contains five essays that describe various aspects of a collaboration called the Deans' Forum at the University of Georgia. A group of 30 faculty committed to exploring issues such as the nature and quality of instruction in university courses, course and curriculum design, learning theories relevant to college age learners, the role of…

Small, rural schools may have a limited range of services available onsite for students with intensive special needs. This report describes the philosophical approaches and situational strategies for these students, implemented successfully by staff at two small rural schools in Maine. Small rural schools have the most difficulty in programming…

This paper describes a state-funded project at Southeastern Louisiana University that offered coursework and direct classroom assistance to general educators attempting to include students with disabilities for mathematics and science instruction. Thirty-five general educators in five parish school systems participated. A sequence of three credit…

This study examined the student teaching experience through the eyes of 459 student teachers who had recently completed their internships at the elementary school level. The participants were asked to write a letter of advice to incoming student teachers, describing the highs and lows of student teaching and giving any advice that they thought…

This study investigated how electronically transmitted multimedia collaboration facilitated appropriation of pedagogical and conceptual tools by preservice and practicing teachers in two different regions of the country, all of whom were interested in groupwork. Researchers sought to support practicing teachers' implementation of complex…

There are about 80,000 public school principals in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there will be a 10 percent increase in the employment of educational administrators of all types through 2006. The National Association of Elementary School Principals estimates that more than 40 percent of principals will retire or leave…

This qualitative case study identified how various conditions supported one voluntary novice teacher learning community called STEP+. Participants were all graduates of Stanford University's teacher education program (STEP), a fifth-year, combined master's and credential program. STEP+ teachers convened for as many as 5 years away from their…

This paper provides an overview of the interdisciplinary program at Auburn High School, a small high school in Riner, Virginia, and describes a recent schoolwide project to construct an Elizabethan gazebo and Shakespeare garden. To develop interdisciplinary units, the teachers begin by brainstorming ideas, looking for overlapping content. The next…

This study investigated the relationship between a multiple team structure and student achievement in a high minority (predominantly African American), low socioeconomic status middle school over 3 years. Part of a larger 5-year investigation of team structures in high performing restructured middle schools, the study observed the components and…

This report describes the professional development experiences of teachers in high-performing, high-needs (HPHN) schools. Researchers surveyed K-5 teachers from 10 schools in a district with large numbers of impoverished students, examining: teachers' perceptions of the characteristics and outcomes of their professional development experiences;…

This study compared the instructional decision-making of expert and novice special educators in familiar instructional settings, investigating whether they differed in how they allocated attention to different instructional themes in the classroom. Participants were 38 expert special educators and special education student teachers. Student…

The University-School Teacher Education Partnerships have completed their third year. North Carolina is exemplary in its efforts to improve teacher quality, with the University-School Teacher Education Partnerships key in North Carolina's accomplishments. This report presents vignettes of each North Carolina partnership school which highlight such…

This study examined the collaborative planning and decision making of a grade level team of elementary teachers. The purpose of the case study was to determine the level and nature of interaction among teachers who participated in grade level team planning meetings during the school year. Eight fifth grade teachers in a mid-South suburban school…

This paper discusses caring relationships and their importance in supporting student learning, examining a study conducted at a public elementary school. The first section describes a theoretical context for care in the school community and argues for its presence in capturing the essence of school reform. It explores one component of care,…

This paper describes the collaborative team teaching experience in an educational technology course taught by Cleveland State University (Ohio) faculty. In this study, a collaborative team used a reflective approach from constructivist perspectives and involved students as well as two instructors in planning, conducting, and evaluating processes.…