A persistent and pressing problem in higher education is the "us versus them" mentality between faculty and administrators. Although the tension between faculty and administrators can have a healthy dimension (promoting the advice and consent of shared governance), by and large the tension is unproductive because it is based on misunderstandings…

In this article, the author, as a teacher educator, wants to provide a space for her students to talk about the role they and their students' bodies play in the classroom--a safe place for them to share, reflect on, and begin to theorize the sexual dimension of their teaching. Her space-creating intentions have been predicated on the assumption…

In this article, two problems associated with the expectation that teachers use contemporary assessment techniques are examined. The first problem relates to teachers' sense-making of assessment data. Illustrative cases revealed that teachers' processes of interpretation of students' understanding, knowledge and learning of mathematics draws on a…

This study was about a single case of educational innovation and excellence in educational technology in a secondary school in Ontario. The researcher explored the question of how the innovation resulted from an individual effort and attainment remained a "contained entity" after its decade-long existence. From the lenses of multiple…

This paper discusses the El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence and how it helps improve the literacy skills of all children in El Paso, Texas. The goal of the collaborative is to ensure that all children are successful in school and are prepared to enter and be successful in a four-year college. Its role is to expand leadership and…

When a university and a major urban district pair up, teachers learn more about science content and how to develop an inquiry-based classroom. More than 8,000 Detroit, Mich., students have felt the change--and show the results in improved science test scores.

Across the US, some schools are hallmarks of high academic performance. These schools display consistently high test performance, and their students are sought after by competitive colleges and universities. These schools are successful, with consistently above-average test scores, low dropout rates, high percentages of children attending college,…

There is no single program for improving student writing, but there are common elements of programs that help kids learn to write well. Likewise, there is no professional development program that provides all the skills and knowledge a teacher will need to improve student writing--and, ultimately, student learning--but there are common elements…

As we approach the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century, the globalization and privatization of the academy is destabilizing the patterns of university professional work developed over the past hundred years (Slaughter and Leslie, 1997). To grasp the extent of changes taking place and to understand the forces of change on women in…

Learning disabilities is the theme of the latest issue of "Focus on Basics," the World Education publication that brings together research, policy, and practice in adult basic education. Starting with an update on research on neurobiology and dyslexia, this issue also examines how the adult basic education system supports students with…

This descriptive report examines the strategies of the six Southeast Region states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina) to improve high school graduation rates and student achievement and to increase the number of students leaving high school with the skills and knowledge necessary for the twenty-first…

In this article, the authors present Edwin Diaz, superintendent of California's Gilroy Unified School District and discuss the common challenges and strategies among those education leaders who take on--and succeed at--the role of change agent and reformer. When Edwin Diaz became superintendent of California's Gilroy Unified School District in…

This study examined the impact of a professional development intervention aimed at helping elementary teachers incorporate elements of students' home language and culture into science instruction. The intervention consisted of instructional units and materials and teacher workshops. The research involved 43 third- and fourth-grade teachers at six…

Teams of pre-service and in-service elementary teachers attended workshops, learned technology applications, and designed curricular units that incorporated technology during staff development accomplished through a Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) U.S. Department of Education grant. Training focused on development of Units of…

This longitudinal study focuses on how pedagogical content knowledge is initially represented and changes during the beginning teaching experiences of 9 teachers of French, German, and Spanish. The data consist of reflective journal entries, classroom observations, and focus group interviews collected during the first 2 years of foreign language…