Students and teachers inevitably enter classrooms with differing expectations and experiences; those differences provide opportunities for both conflict and growth. This article examines this phenomenon in an undergraduate teacher education course on reading instruction at the middle-school level, presents case studies of students' improvisations…

The recent growth of separate middle schools for young adolescents raises the question--do we now need separate teacher education programs in middle schooling? Or, can the staffing requirements of middle schools be met adequately by existing primary and secondary teacher education programs? This paper provides a contribution to answering these…

A Professional Development School (PDS) offers unique university-school relationships that can change the culture of learning and add value to students and the community. Initially created in the 1980s, the PDS movement is growing across the country and is now a respected teacher education model. In this book, Carole G. Basile has collected…

Three highly regarded organizations, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International, and the Lumina Foundation for Education, undertook an important project to collect the opinions of middle school students using a scientific polling process. The idea to poll middle school students took shape…

In this article, the author would like to raise awareness of GK?12 programs by sharing experiences from SPICE (Science Partners in Inquiry-based Collaborative Education), a partnership between the University of Florida and Alachua County Public Schools. SPICE pairs nine graduate student fellows with nine middle school science teachers. Each…

Van Horn deems three "recognitions" as essential to truly internalizing professional development: what and how we learn; the importance of individuals, contexts, and community in learning; and the ongoing nature of learning. Here, she provides an overview and examples of ideas about professional development and how we might develop ourselves as…

This article presents questions and answers about ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks. ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks are the minimum ACT test scores required for students to have a high probability of success in credit-bearing college courses--English Composition, social sciences courses, College Algebra, or Biology. Colleges can use the…

This report presents findings from the Year 3 evaluation of Texas' state-level Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP, grant. GEAR UP grant requirements include an evaluation component designed to assess program effectiveness and to measure progress toward project goals. To this end, the evaluation considers…

In September 2009, the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) awarded $8 million in new Improving Teacher Quality (ITQ) grants to institutions of higher education for the purpose of assisting K-12 teachers to enhance teaching and learning in their classrooms. In addition to the new grants, the ITQ program has 14 individual grants and…

The federal Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP, project strives to equalize low-income students' access to higher education by increasing their participation in rigorous coursework, providing expanded opportunities for low-income students and parents to learn about postsecondary educational opportunities…

Using an explanatory mixed methods design, this study uses the National Standards of Quality for Online Courses to measure the extent to which teachers in a blended middle school and a fully online supplemental high school are designing quality online learning environments for students. As a part of fully online graduate coursework, graduate…

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) "Special Education at a Glance," which includes a copy of the "Guide to Planning and Assessing School-Based Special Education Programs," provides in a single document, information about the special education population at each Montgomery County (Maryland) public school, including…

This annual report highlights SREB's recent achievements and how its services are helping the 16 member states rise to the challenge of improving education at all levels. The report also includes remarks from the Board Chair and President, acknowledges chief contributors and lists members of the Board, Legislative Advisory Council and SREB staff.…

This Framework is intended for use by school districts and their community partners as they plan and adopt systems of quality pathways. The Critical Elements that make up the Framework are intended to deepen and clarify the district's thinking about how to build the infrastructure that supports the design, implementation, and sustainability of a…

Ecology Art as a genre addresses sensitivity to our natural world and the interdependence of all living things, Over the past several decades Ecology artists have developed a distinguished tradition including a variety of international projects. In recent times, Eco Artists have also been exploring Internet technologies, and are being joined by…