Identified kindergarten through third grade teachers' perceptions of factors related to success of inclusive classrooms. Found that teachers shared a strong belief in the fundamental value of inclusion. Themes affecting perceptions indicated a need for more adequate and focused training, better consideration of classroom load factors, more…

Using an Israeli case study of an innovative secondary program to make female students more employable after graduation, this article explores barriers to and benefits of teacher/specialist teams in school reform, arguing that the team approach makes sense only if it is accompanied by a shift in thinking about teaching and school practice. (SM)

One hundred sixteen rural general educators participated in an innovative 10-week training to learn instructional and behavioral strategies for working with students with disabilities in inclusive settings. Pre/post self-assessments of teaching skills showed significant improvements after training; elementary educators self-rated their skills…

The Early Childhood Comprehensive Technology System (ECCTS) was a 3-year collaborative project designed to implement and maintain a comprehensive technology system through on-going training, follow-up and technical support for teachers, team-based technology assessment for children with moderate to severe disabilities, technology integration into…

Providing support focused on real challenges is critical in retaining highly qualified new science teachers, but the field lacks a systematic description of these teachers' needs. The authors of this article examine the areas that science teachers are expected to understand: (1) the content and disciplines of science; (2) learners; (3)…

The qualitative study examined the processes and approaches to collaboration, reflection, and dialogue of preservice and mentoring teachers who were engaged in a yearlong internship experience. Within the context of a university course grounded in constructivism, social constructivism, and the concept of teacher as researcher, the study explored…

This article explores the relationship between teachers perceptions of administrative practice in high schools and students perceptions of the school, teachers and their own performance. It was found that where decision making is perceived by teachers as collegial, collaborative, co-operative and consultative and providing adequate opportunities…

This qualitative case study reports on processes and outcomes of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded System-Wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE) project at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN). It addresses a critical challenge in studying systemic reform in complex organizations: the lack of methodologies that…

This final report describes the Inclusion through Transdisciplinary Teaming (ITT) project, which provided support to personnel working in schools, child care centers, and Head Start programs as they designed and provided services that included young children with disabilities and their families. During its 3 years of outreach, ITT project staff…

This paper presents selected findings from a three-year research investigation of general and special education reform initiatives implemented in five local school districts across the United States (including a large urban, predominately minority system; two suburban districts; a small independent city district; a large county-wide system; two…

During the 1994-95 academic year, faculty and administrators in the College of Education at Illinois State University (ISU) (Normal, Illinois) along with teachers and administrators from the Community Consolidated School District 21 (Wheeling, Illinois) began discussions to establish a Professional Development School (PDS). In August 1995, 32 ISU…

This collection of papers identifies critical issues in mentoring and mentoring programs. Paper 1, "Support Behaviors Among Teachers in Authentic Settings" (Deborah L. Bainer), discusses the following issues: (1) mentoring is just one of the types of support behaviors needed and practiced by teachers in elementary schools; (2) support…

This report is based on efforts by the National Center for Education Statistics to collect data on teacher preparation and qualifications using a nationally representative survey of full-time public school teachers whose main teaching assignment is in English/language arts, social studies/social sciences, foreign language, mathematics, or science…

Professionals and paraprofessionals involved in career counseling will want this newly revised practitioners' guide. The content of career counseling differs conceptually and strategically according to the client's specific developmental stage. This book addresses this by setting forth competencies used by the National Occupational Information…

In the 21st century, there is a new paradigms shift from traditional distance education approaches to network -based elearning understandings in universities and colleges. Therefore, economy (cost effectiveness and efficiency), technology (communication technologies) and equity (gender, accessibility, minority, language, religion etc.) are vital…