Overviews a section in the same "Educational Leadership" issue on improving teaching productivity. Highlights Harold Stevenson's article comparing mathematics education in the U.S., China, and Japan and Bruce Joyce's summary and analysis of the research literature on effective instructional strategies. (MLH)

The chairman of the College Board strongly disagrees with the Nairn report and gives his version of the truth about testing. (Author/MLF)

Idea man par excellence, Lee Shulman has long set directions for research on teaching. After founding and directing the Institute for Research on Teaching at Michigan State University, Shulman, now at Stanford, continues his far-reaching investigations into the interplay of content and pedagogy and into assessments of teaching that faithfully…

Research shows that adults respond primarily to positive reinforcement, want to be involved, and prefer to operate in a collegial environment. Traditional teacher evaluation violates many of these understandings. Fortunately, schools are beginning to experiment with observations and mentoring for beginning teachers and long-term…

Developing cooperative structures such as cooperative learning in classrooms, collegial teacher support groups, and collegial administrative relationships within the district will contribute to school effectiveness. Necessary elements are positive interdependence, face-to-face interaction, individual accountability, social skills, and group…

A university professor and education researcher who also teaches fifth graders, Magdalene Lampert has compiled a library of videotapes that bring images of thoughtful practice into the teacher education classroom. According to Lampert, too much classroom talk could be classified as either lecture or recitation. The challenge is to eschew the…

Schools cannot meet challenges of reform without first doing a better job of connecting with parents and the public. According to Public Agenda reports, educators are out of touch with typical views of parents and the public. Most people are doubtful about advocated practices such as detracking, holistic reading, early use of calculators, and…

A major study sponsored by the National Science Foundation yields a sobering picture of instruction in science, mathematics, and social studies. (Author)

Interviews an administration department chair at University of Illinois, who is also a staff evaluation consultant and author. Discusses reservations about evaluation rating scales and state-mandated systems. Although broader criteria are needed, linking staff development to evaluation involves teachers in goal setting and promotes understanding…

Goodlad discusses his comprehensive plan for reforming undergraduate teacher education, abolishing state-mandated courses, instituting state examinations modeled after law and medicine exams, and creating unified faculty groups devoting primary attention to teacher education. First, some basic changes in organization, student-teacher placement and…

A collage of excerpts about the Florida Minimum Competencies Testing Program. (Author/MLF)

Recent court decisions in Tennessee and Alabama requiring the teaching of "creationism" and the banning of "secular humanism" challenge educators to listen to the critics and present a wider curriculum including the role of religion in human affairs while protecting our heritage of intellectual freedom. (MD)

Discusses California's efforts to improve curriculum and assessment, including the new state frameworks in each subject area. California rejected existing math and science textbooks for being redundant and overemphasizing skills at the expense of meaningful application. New educational objectives are to prepare students for work, citizenship, and…

We are now accumulating the knowledge base necessary for teaching to become a true profession, and we have the possibility within reach to work together to attain that stature. This editorial essay previews the articles that focus on this theme in this issue of "Educational Leadership." (TE)

Educators have shown great interest in teaching thinking in the last five years. This overview introduces thinking skills instruction as the theme of this issue of "Educational Leadership" and distinguishes three different approaches: teaching for thinking, teaching about thinking, and teaching of thinking. (TE)