Predicated on the fact that most school and state curricula for upper grades include a study of other cultures and that one method for examining Latin American countries and their culture is through an in-depth study of one specific country, this report details a summer travel seminar for 18 U.S. elementary and secondary school teachers to Brazil,…

Collaborative efforts by Texas Tech University (TTU) and the Lubbock Independent School District (ISD) resulted in an innovative program to improve the preparation of secondary-level preservice teachers in social studies. The program is grounded in the realities of the social studies classroom. Students are organized by teaching field in a…

The purpose of this study was to determine Tapp Middle School's instructional technology staff development needs, determine sustainability and staff development costs, and develop a long-range comprehensive instructional technology staff development action plan. This study also focuses on the student as the customer who deserves access to the best…

This case study describes the theory behind and the process of developing a learning community program at Abilene Christian University (ACU), Texas. The program, initiated in 1996, was developed to improve community and student retention and to provide opportunities for faculty renewal and professional development. Review of the research on…

Middle-level principals are essential to current school reform initiatives. A study was undertaken to report what the respondents identified as the essential performance-based skills and knowledge needed for middle-level leadership, and to assess and project the impact of these knowledge and skill areas on administrator preparation programs. These…

Education school professors in general and curriculum and instruction experts in particular are major forces in dictating the "what" and "how" of U.S. education. Although they wield immense power over what is actually taught in the classroom, these professors are senior members of a field that lacks many features of a fully…

This paper advocates that Wisconsin teachers of French should participate in immersion programs for each Department of Instruction recertification cycle. Typically, teachers obtain their immersion experience in France, initially as undergraduate students and subsequently as tour guides for their own students. The paper suggests that North American…

This report provides education leaders and policymakers with a lens to examine model professional development in education and the private sector. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of how organizations support or fail to support a work culture that values ongoing education, and to better understand what comprises the…

The Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JC NERR) program has successfully capitalized on human fascination with the ocean by using the marine environment to develop interest and capability in science. The Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences, as the managing agency of the JC NERR, makes its faculty, staff resources, and…

The University of Central Florida (UCF) has developed an award winning faculty development program providing experiential, collaborative learning for instructors to build online programs. A project is now underway to extend training throughout the state of Florida. Supporting students is also essential to the success of teaching online. The…

The National Association of State Directors of Special Education, through its Research Institute of Assistive and Training Technologies (RIATT@NASDSE), has developed a planned approach to professional development in the area of assistive technology using distance education. This award-winning distance education program offers convenient,…

In the past decade, disappointing national outcomes have been reported regarding the transition of youth with disabilities to community and work environments. The transition outlook is even more dismal for rural youth with disabilities, in light of geographic barriers to special education service delivery, lack of jobs in rural areas, and rural…

This article presents the insights gained by individuals involved in designing and implementing an evaluation system for a coalition of Professional Development Schools (PDSs) in rural Alabama. The article begins with a brief overview of the history of PDSs, with a particular emphasis on issues related to establishing quality indicators and…

This paper opens with a story of what was once cutting-edge, state-of-the-art technology and its integration into preservice teacher preparation. It is a story of the technology, in this case video recording, the theories applied to its educational use, and a specific teacher training method--microteaching. The historical context of microteaching…

Although there is a great deal of interest in the concept of literacy coaching in the wake of the No Child Left Behind legislation, and a number of programs exist that incorporate this technique, there has been little reliable research done on the impact of literacy coaches on student achievement. Currently, the information that is available…