Progress in education depends very much on keeping up with the various trends that emerge around the world. In-service teacher training (INSET) is a formal means through which teachers are constantly updated with the new findings in the field. There are also self-directed development activities that complement formal training. The need for this…

This report documents best practices in teacher education at five universities (George Washington University, Western Oregon University, the University of Louisville, Colorado State University, and the University of New Mexico). The universities were part of a project to identify and document how contextual teaching and learning can improve…

To help combat the problem of beginning teacher/high attrition rate, the Cincinnati Initiative for Teacher Education (CITE) program was piloted in the '93-'94 school year with University of Cincinnati students and the '94-'95 school year with the Cincinnati Public Schools. In '95-'96, students participated in half-time teaching internships. For…

This report restates selected Southern Regional Education Board policy recommendations on teacher quality since the early 1980s, outlines key policy areas that need attention, and provides examples of state actions to make needed changes. Regarding teacher preparation, the report discusses university responsibility, partnerships with schools, and…

This brief examines the impact of teaching on student achievement, necessary steps for ensuring teacher quality, and policies needed to support that effort. Research has identified the strong connection between student achievement and teacher preparation and skills. Efforts to generate consistently high teaching levels across all classrooms must…

This paper examines Kate Walsh's Abell Foundation report, which purports to prove there is no credible research supporting the use of teacher certification as a regulatory barrier to teaching and argues against reforms that would strengthen incentives to bring qualified teaches to inner city schools. This paper discusses inaccuracies in Walsh's…

This paper focuses on challenges in preparing student teachers for diverse Florida classrooms, noting the current underperformance of many Florida schools, particularly urban schools. These low performing schools tend to serve a disproportionate number of poor and minority students, many in the early stages of learning English as a Second…

This collection of papers includes excerpts from books, essays, and articles that explore the heart of the teaching experience. Nineteen chapters explore the challenges and joys of teaching, focusing on the meaning and experience of teaching and the art of teaching skills. They include: (1) "The Heart of a Teacher: Identity and Integrity in…

This manual is designed for beginning postsecondary instructors with no previous teacher training. It presents the essentials of the instructional planning and implementation process and explains key principles and practices that have been shown to enhance students' motivation to learn. An introduction describes the purpose, rationale, readers,…

This multimedia School Development Outreach Project package on teacher quality provides a perspective on this emerging education issue arising from national, state, and local leaders. The package contains a set of two audiotapes and a booklet. The booklet gives an overview of the issue, examples of research and current practice, and suggestions…

Discusses specific topics that second-language teachers should be familiar with, organized under the following headings: teachers' background, community/parent expectations, children/students expectations, knowing the students, classroom management, motivation, planning, theories of second-language acquisition, language skills, culture, media…

This paper describes a unique collaboration between the College of Education (COE) and the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach (CAEO) at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Here we describe our efforts to improve student science performance in traditionally underachieving urban middle schools by embracing our state's highly qualified…

Developing Information Technology (IT) skills in pre-service teachers and identifying IT competencies required of practising teachers is an issue challenging most developed nations. This paper looks at IT capabilities required by a number of educational systems and discusses IT skills developed in the Bachelor of Education (Primary) degree at the…

This paper examines the progress of one state in implementing the middle school concept. Results of a survey distributed in 1990 were compared to results of a similar survey distributed in the spring of 2004. Progress or the lack thereof has been noted. Implications from this survey can serve to heighten awareness and continue to improve the…

While researchers continue to debate teacher qualifications, explore how to get more qualified teachers into urban schools serving low-income students, or try to determine whether teachers who are successful with middle-class students would also be successful with pupils in low-income urban schools, one practicable idea can easily be overlooked.…