A group of three conference papers, all dealing with ways to improve teacher effectiveness, is presented in this document. The first paper, "Improving Teacher Effectiveness" (Twyla Stewart), describes the efforts of the Center for Academic Interinstitutional Programs at the University of California, Los Angeles. The program focuses on…

Research extending back into the 1890's reveals that the quality of classroom instruction depends not upon differing curricula, for example, but rather upon the attitudes and actions of teachers. Instructional effectiveness is especially important for independent schools, yet availability as well as quality of candidates has dropped markedly.…

Eight priority recommendations are outlined for attracting and preparing teachers, developing the new teachers, improving the teaching climate, and rewarding effective teaching. Consideration is given to issues related to effective teaching within the framework of seven areas: (l) early student interest; (2) entry into teacher education; (3)…

Guidelines for the continuing education of secondary school psychology teachers are presented. Because for many people, high school psychology is the first and only opportunity for systematic exposure to the field, the secondary psychology teacher plays a vital role in the public's basic understanding of psychology. Psychology teachers must help…

This publication reports on a seminar held over five days which brought together teachers and administrators from the Albany (New York) area schools and colleges and universities to discuss teacher preparation and professional development. Opening sections introduce the seminar, list participants, and detail the six procedural steps that the…

This publication contains two articles which focus on the teaching profession within the context of systemic reform. The first article, "Systemic Reform: Teachers and the Condition of Teaching," discusses the role and the preparation of teachers. The level of coordination among the various systems that relate to the teacher's role is…

This report describes the Scarsdale, New York, Public Schools' mentor program for beginning teachers from the perspective of its second year (1986-87). In response to the challenge to provide support for new teachers and to vitalize an experienced staff, a collaborative program was developed among the Scarsdale Teachers Association, district…

A preliminary survey of 32 school districts identified as having highly developed teacher evaluation systems was followed by the selection of 4 case study districts (Salt Lake City, Utah; Lake Washington, Washington; Greenwich, Connecticut; and Toledo, Ohio) representing diverse teacher evaluation processes and organizational environments. Common…

Following consideration of many reports on the status of public education, the Utah State Board of Education announces its commitment to the reform of the content, processes, and standards of public education in Utah. The board sets as its primary goals the attainment of excellence in education and the improvement of productivity. The reform will…

Edvantia, Inc. (formerly AEL) publishes "TransFormation" twice a year to provide policymakers with interpretive summaries of significant reports and rigorous studies about school transformation, giving special attention to research with possible implications for improving low-performing schools.This final print issue of…

Business leaders created New American Schools (NAS) to develop "break-the-mold" designs for schools serving grades K-12. The notion of a design was meant to convey a coherent and comprehensive set of school-level practices that unified a school behind a goal of high performance by all students. These practices would cover all grades, all students…

The purpose of this document is to provide standards for the preservice professional preparation of teachers, to encourage inservice professional development, and to describe the necessary conditions for teaching and learning the social studies. These standards may be used as goals toward which the professional social studies teacher strives, as…

This guide has two main objectives: (1) to help school board members become better governors of the local educational enterprise; and (2) to help school board members respond to questions from the public about the National Commission on Excellence in Education report entitled "A Nation at Risk." To meet these objectives, the guide offers…

The shortcomings in elementary and secondary mathematics and science education have been the focus of numerous national reports calling for educational reform. In response to the recommendations contained in those reports, a variety of actions on the part of state education agencies (SEA) resulted. This document reviews the results of a project…

Disputing the claim that improved student learning requires stronger academic standards and stiffer tests, the authors of this book contend that effective state reform depends on coherence in policy and practice, and opportunities for professional learning. It draws on a study of a program in California that worked to improve mathematics teaching…