This guide is designed as a professional development tool for personal use within the context of a schoolwide improvement planning effort to assist individual K-12 classroom teachers who are beginning to integrate technology into their daily practices. Following an introductory section that addresses reasons for using technology, technology within…

This paper reports on a study of the relationship between teacher evaluation scores in a school implementing knowledge- and skills-based pay and classroom student achievement. The study occurred in a California charter elementary school that was 100 percent Title I, 100 percent free/reduced lunch, and had predominantly limited English speaking…

This report describes the work of the Charlotte Collaborative, a partnership between North Carolina's Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Johnson C. Smith University. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) chose CMS to develop a model for other school systems to use in…

In order to assess the impact of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification process, the NBPTS commissioned two surveys in 2001. The first survey examined the impact of the assessment process on teachers who had achieved NBPTS certification. Researchers sent surveys to 600 National Board certified teachers (NBTCs)…

This collection of papers presents the experiences of several university educators in dispelling myths about teacher education. The papers include: "Introduction--Out of the Ivory Towers: Making Connections with the Public" (Gail Huffman-Joley); "Education Deans Are Not Activists for Reform" (Richard C. Kunkel and Molly…

This book provides a framework of technology skills that can be used for staff development. Part One presents critical components of effective staff development. Part Two describes the basic CODE 77 skills, including basic computer operation, file management, time management, word processing, network and Internet use, graphics and digital images,…

This report describes some of the current efforts to improve teacher quality in the southeastern U.S.states. It speaks to the importance of states informing each other in crafting their efforts to create more coherent systems of teacher development linked to improving student achievement, asserting that everything that must be done to ensure that…

Data from the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) for the 1999-2000 school year were examined to determine the similarities and differences between Michigan's charter and traditional school teachers. Data reveal that charter school teachers are much less likely to have appropriate certification than their counterparts in traditional…

Research shows that teacher quality affects student achievement more greatly than any other school-based variable. The No Child Left Behind Act requires a "highly qualified" teacher in every classroom by the 2005-2006 school year and achievement gains by all students over time. These realities give policymakers a strong incentive to focus on…

This study investigated how unprepared beginning teachers engaged in problem solving within the context of a community of practice, examining how they: defined and perceived classroom problems; negotiated the meaning of problems; and viewed the mentor teacher's role. Twelve alternatively certified beginning teachers participated. Each completed an…

This report represents the 12th follow-up study by the Teacher Education Assessment Committee at Central Missouri State University (CMSU), Warrensburg. This year's surveys were distributed to preservice, first-year, and second-year teachers in Missouri, graduate students, alternative certification teachers, and employers (principals) of the…

This summary examines public opinion research about teacher quality and strategies for improving U.S. teaching quality. Researchers examined surveys of teachers, school board members, principals, students, and the public. This review investigates: what constitutes quality teaching; how to define good teachers; the importance of teacher quality;…

Western Illinois University's College of Education and Human Services is redesigning its undergraduate teacher education program. The program places volunteer freshmen in real classrooms for long-term observations and volunteer assistance, eventually leading up to a full range of teaching opportunities. Also, coursework is presented in an…

This practicum was designed to provide a means for students in the graduate education program at Nova Southeastern University (Florida) to demonstrate that they can successfully incorporate Internet information and communication technologies into teaching and professional development. Goals were: (1) to develop a means for assessing attainment of…

The current practice of including all students with special needs in the general education setting has resulted in new roles for special educators. To determine whether special education professionals are being prepared adequately for these new roles, a study investigated the self-reported competencies of special educators on a set of 35 skills…