Currently, every aspect of Japanese education in undergoing reform. The personnel management system is being structured largely from the viewpoint of two policy interests: introduction of a new teacher evaluation system and dealing with teachers' lack of teaching skills and competencies. This paper examines these two policy interests, noting…

This report documents development of Chicago Annenberg elementary schools from 1996-99 (the first 3 years of the Chicago Challenge), noting gains in student academic and non-academic outcomes and examining how the schools that developed got better. The Chicago Annenberg Challenge worked to improve Chicago's public schools through dramatically…

This literature review outlines five measurable, policy-relevant teacher characteristics that reflect teacher quality: teacher experience, teacher preparation programs and degrees, type of teacher certification, specific coursework taken in preparation for the profession, and teachers' own test scores. It reviews a wide range of empirical studies…

This book synthesizes research to identify specific teacher behaviors that contribute to student achievement, focusing on what teachers can control (preparation, personality, and practices). Part 1 examines teacher effectiveness. Chapter 1 investigates prerequisites of effective teaching, particularly the influence of background and professional…

This report discusses factors affecting California's ability to compete for and keep quality teachers. It describes the qualifications of California's current teacher workforce and how they are compensated and discusses research and informed opinions on the influence of money and other factors on teachers' employment decisions. The report…

This annual report describes the work of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), noting that in 2001, it launched five new certificate fields and introduced the Next Generation of National Board Certification assessments. It also worked with local, state, and federal policy makers who provide incentives for candidates and…

This report describes Partners in Accomplished Teaching, a project of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) designed to help increase the number of teachers achieving National Board Certification. It focuses on efforts in St. Paul, Minnesota; Mississippi; North Carolina; and San Antonio, Texas. The St. Paul program is a…

This paper discusses how policymakers can support teaching to high standards. It explains that teacher education significantly influences teacher effectiveness. The United States offers fewer supports for teacher learning than do other industrialized countries, and many U.S. teachers are inadequately prepared for the classroom. The United States…

This book is designed to help faculty members and others involved in training teachers to use technology to understand what implementation might look like, to provide a framework or starting point in a lesson or topic, and to encourage faculty members to use intellectual and creative license to make the experience appropriate for the teacher…

This study examined policies to help states develop, recruit, and retain more highly qualified teachers. Researchers conducted interviews to examine the data systems in 14 states. Results indicated that comparable, timely, and accurate data about teacher quality were conspicuously absent from many policy discussions. Although states collected and…

This study examined the socialization experiences of middle school novice teachers using interviews with principals, mentors, and new teachers; surveys of new teachers; and classroom observations of new teachers. With the middle school teacher as the unit of analysis, the study used an aeronautical metaphor to describe the schools as organizations…

This publication offers orientation materials for new cooperating teachers at Millersville University, Pennsylvania. The materials consist of nine stations with questions that can be used in a workshop format to generate discussion or which can be answered in writing by a teacher who is working through these materials in a home-study program. Side…

Scores on professional licensure exams and transcript grades, used to evaluate the competencies of entry level teachers, fail to reflect the wide range of complex knowledge, skills, and dispositions that quality professional educators possess. As the demand for authentic, standards-based assessment of teacher performance continues to grow, teacher…

This paper critically reviews the specific role played by universities in initial teacher training. It highlights several unique contributions to good quality teacher training within the university setting. These include advanced subject matter training, research-based instruction, and a critical reflection on practice. The paper also identifies a…

This paper presents First Lady Laura Bush's opening remarks at the White House Conference on Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers. She described the President's No Child Left Behind Act, which allows schools flexibility to use federal funds where the local need is greatest (teacher recruitment, improving teacher training, and increasing teacher pay in…