Inclusion in the general education classroom is becoming the placement of choice for many students with autism. Autism is a disorder that can impact many aspects of a child's learning experience. A child's profile along the continuum of Autism Spectrum Disorders dictates the severity of impairment in language engagement, social connectedness,…

Paper-pencil teacher tests of professional knowledge typically are organized around the conventional dimensions that define state teaching standards, such as classroom management and assessment. We examined if such tests could be partitioned into three other dimensions (general knowledge, academic or textbook knowledge, and functional teaching…

This system dynamics analysis draws on the literature to outline the factors commonly discussed as predictive of and, perhaps, causally related to problematic differences in academic achievement among students who vary in race, ethnicity, and social class. It first treats these as a wide-ranging set of exogenous variables, many of which interact…

This brochure explains the National Board certification process, helping teachers understand the process and suggesting ways for them to become involved in National Board certification even if a certificate for their area is not yet available or if they are not yet ready to pursue National Board certification. Section 1 explains what the National…

The purpose of this study was to examine Korean elementary teachers' knowledge of and interest in gifted education, in-service training needs, and perceptions of gifted education to provide implications for developing in-service teacher training programs. "Korean elementary teachers completed the survey, Korean Elementary Teachers:…

If teaching at its best is an art (Davis, 2005; Sarason, 1999; Grumet, 1993; Eisner, 1985; Barone, 1983; Greene, 1971; Smith 1971), then instructional leadership of teaching, done best, must also be based in art (Behar-Horenstein, 2004; Klein, 1999; Eisner, 1983 & 1998a; Blumberg, 1989; Barone, 1998). The author examines possible applications of…

In order to guide organizational growth in the Master's in Education with an emphasis in Special Education program, offered at Southwestern College, an in-depth qualitative study was conducted with participants from three specific realms located in the state of Kansas. Participants from the Kansas State Department of Education, Southwestern…

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama," as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…

Reforming teacher tenure is an idea that appears to be gaining traction with the underlying assumption being that one can infer to a reasonable degree how well a teacher will perform over her career based on estimates of her early-career effectiveness. Here we explore the potential for using value-added models to estimate performance and inform…

In the state of Indiana, early childhood educators are not required to attain any pre-service education. Typically this means that the people working day to day with children have not been trained to do so, and if there is a child with a disability in the classroom the educators are especially unprepared. The purpose of this research was to…

Ghana, like many other nations in recent years, has made education a top priority for national development. Despite newly developed policies, however, there remains a significant quality gap among high schools; due largely to an inequitable ratio of government's educational spending by geographic area. While most urban schools flourish with better…

This qualitative study provides information on the concerns faced by parents having children with Down syndrome in a centre-based Early Intervention Programme in Malaysia and how they coped with these concerns. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of five parents and two special educators. The interview and observation findings…

The importance of teachers' content knowledge for effective teaching of mathematics has long been recognised. Recent national testing regimes in Australia (National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy [NAPLAN]) have raised questions of the adequacy of teachers' content knowledge. This, in turn has focused attention upon the quality of teacher…

Inclusion is a developmental process rather abrupt action of implementing a system. It is concerned with the type of modifications and adaptations required in the schools to accommodate all students with diverse educational needs. In inclusive schools, all children irrespective of their abilities learn together and enjoy the same rights and…

Teacher work samples (TWS) are an integrated, comprehensive assessment tool that can be used as evidence of a beginning teacher's readiness to teach. Unlike linear assessments used to determine teaching effectiveness, TWS are relevant and reflective of "real" teaching. They are designed to exhibit a clear relationship among teacher candidate…