These guidelines are derived from the five basic National Commission on Teaching and America's Future recommendations presented in "What Matters Most: Teaching and America's Future," a research-based proclamation that improving the quality of classroom instruction is the most important, direct, and cost-effective route to improving…

This study investigated the characteristics of principals, students, teachers and middle-grades schools located in port of entry communities along the Texas-Mexico border, examining principals' opinions about the degree to which new teachers' education and preparation experiences were appropriate. The study also examined principals' opinions about…

This collection of three issues focuses on competencies for teachers of learners who are deaf-blind, living with deaf-blindness, and resources in Australia for parents and families of students who are deaf-blind. Articles include: (1) "Research-to-Practice Focus: Competencies for Teachers of Learners Who Are Deafblind" (Marianne Riggio),…

A very large number of school children have defects of speech. Their defects may prove a very serious handicap if not a source of misery during the period of their schooling and later in life. Their conditions can, in a large measure, be cured or improved by proper speech instruction. The number helped will depend, however, not only on the…

This report summarizes evaluation results of some of Austin Independent School District's (AISD's) efforts to involve parents and community members during 2002-2003.

Presents a series of questions those aspiring to teach music education at the university level should ask themselves. The questions cover a broad range of topics including academic reputation and job placement, importance of teaching experience, physical and emotional factors, and faculty recommendations. Each question is answered thoroughly. (MJP)

Part 1 of this article discusses changes in Japanese teacher education since 1949, particularly the arrangement and reorganization of teacher education universities and faculties and the establishment of graduate schools of education. Part 2 presents findings from three studies that examine the psychological adjustment of teacher education…

A survey about inclusion of children with disabilities in early-childhood settings was responded to by 172 parents, practicing professionals in early-childhood programs, university-based trainers, and preservice students. Professional competence and importance of skills were rated for five domains: (1) working with families, (2) performance-based…

This article reports on a study conducted in Lebanon by four non-governmental organizations, primarily on the topic of inclusion of people with disabilities in education, with a secondary focus on inclusion in employment. This article reports on some of the findings of the assessment process that was four months in duration and aimed, through…

A random sample of directors of programs for the deaf in North America were surveyed to get their views about the skills that teacher education programs need to be teaching future teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The directors were queried about literacy practices, classroom management strategies, and communication strategies…

Most other nations have a very different approach to measuring academic achievement at the end of high school and signaling that information to universities and other interested parties. In Australia, Denmark, England, Scotland, Finland, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and many Canadian and German provinces, for example, high school exit…

This is the third in a series of studies examining young students' attitudes toward and knowledge about computers. Data were collected at the end of students' third and fourth grade academic years and analyzed with respect to their "love" of computers, their feelings of competence in using them, and the number of computer terms they…

Over the past decade or more, educators and policymakers have sought to define new directions for teacher education in order to address widely perceived failures to prepare teachers adequately for the challenges to be faced in schools, especially those serving the poor and English learners. As colleges of education and urban school districts have…

This article explores the experiences of six First-year teachers working in the broad, cross-categorical field of early childhood special education. A multicase approach provided insight into the complexity of teachers' roles and work with young children with special needs in a range of settings, with children of various ages and developmental…

A strong academic background and a firm grasp of subject matter are essential qualifications for all candidates. However, there are more important things than content knowledge, academic background, or particular skills, and even more important than prior teaching experience. Teachers with the right stuff are teachers who have the character,…