The authors of this report, education researchers and reformers, value both the promise and possibilities of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), with its mandate that states ensure a "highly qualified" teacher for every child in every core academic class. Reports by the Education Trust, the Center for Education Policy, and the Center…

This paper offers a broader framework for assessment and evaluation of teachers in developing countries. Teacher is seen not only as some one who imparts knowledge and skills but in the developing world, teacher has a wider role to play. (Contains 2 tables, 3 figures, and 13 footnotes.)

Recognizing that reflective practice is an important approach for professional and staff development, this paper discusses the use of the teaching portfolio approach to improving reflection and reflective practices among early childhood education staff. The teaching portfolio approach involves collecting evidence of best practices; developing a…

The quality of individuals teaching in North Carolina's public schools determines the success of students and schools. Research indicates that many new teachers leave the profession in their first years of teaching because of less than optimal and unsupportive teaching conditions. This report examines several of the problems that new teachers…

This report discusses the need for specialized preparation for teachers in Philadelphia's middle grades, summarizing other states' requirements and options for licensure in the middle grades. It profiles exemplary middle school teacher education programs and describes middle level programs currently being offered in the area's higher education…

This paper describes the Milken Family Foundation's Teacher Advancement Program (TAP), which was designed to address many of the problems in today's education. TAP uses a systemic approach that builds on five key principles: providing teachers with multiple career paths and opportunities to advance in the profession without having to leave the…

This collection of essays discusses excellence and achievement in urban schools. "Needed: Excellent Teachers for Urban Schools" (Diane Ravitch) suggests that the best thing to do to help urban students is to ensure that they have excellent teachers. "Beyond the Courage to Change Urban School Systems" (Rudolph F. Crew) discusses…

This paper describes types of university supports available for mentoring in one school district. The district created a unique mentoring program to aid first- through third-year teachers in developing pedagogy, professional skills, and characteristics that would enable them to succeed in teaching. The program was developed for preservice teachers…

This paper envisions what a standards-based second language methods course might look like. In exploring the possibilities, the paper describes a current model for preservice training, generalizations gleaned from a study of a second language methods syllabi archive, and an analysis of and reflection upon a particular second language methods…

This report suggests that teacher education faculty must have opportunities to learn about technology and infuse it into the teacher education curriculum, noting the importance of identifying and designing meaningful technology applications to enhance student learning in the academic disciplines and make clear that technology is for everyone. The…

Recent changes on the part of the Texas State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) have impacted educator competencies in regards to technology. Doubt remains, however, as to whether more effective professional development strategies are being employed to facilitate increased technology proficiency among educators. A review of the literature…

This report describes the past 15 years of work by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) to raise the standards for teacher quality. The NBPTS identified five core propositions that describe the knowledge, skills, and dispositions characterizing accomplished teaching. It created professional standards for K-12 teachers,…

This book discusses challenges facing teachers in the knowledge society today, focusing on the changing world and the changing work of teaching. Seven chapters discuss: (1) "Teaching for the Knowledge Society: Educating for Ingenuity" (e.g., profiting from, developing, and teaching for the knowledge society); (2) "Teaching Beyond…

This book promotes multicultural education, focusing on the diverse ethnic groups that make up Russian society and drawing comparisons with the U.S. educational system to assert that a well-built multicultural classroom is key to reducing racial, ethnic, religious, class, and gender prejudices. It also examines issues of diversity in a rural…

The instructional design interactions, practices, and strategies used by three selected instructors teaching distance education courses at Texas A&M University were examined in a case study. Data were collected through unstructured interviews, participant observations, and examination of course documents. The three instructors were selected so…