As states are working to align their education systems with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in support of the goal of graduating all students ready for college, careers and life, academic and career and technical education (CTE) leaders at the state and local levels can and should maximize this opportunity to finally break down the silos…

Pacesetting high schools, middle grades schools and technology centers have changed classroom and other practices to prepare students to meet postsecondary requirements and rising workplace needs. The strategies include raising expectations, project-based learning, guidance and advisement, improving students' reading and writing skills,…

The purpose of the study was to understand transformative learning in teachers' critical colleague relationships while participating in online, collaborative action research. This included generation of theory by teacher action-researchers relevant to their own practice, with a view to teacher transformation over time. The study addressed the…

The ESEA Blueprint for Reform states that teachers need "effective, ongoing, job-embedded, professional development that is targeted to student and school needs… [and] aligned with evidence of improvements in student learning." Unfortunately, the professional development approaches advocated, though sensible and compelling in theory,…

Policymakers are increasingly adopting "pay-for-performance" policies in which teachers are compensated based on their performance as measured by classroom evaluations and/or student achievement test results. Prior research has produced largely inconclusive findings concerning support among teachers for these policies and their effects…

This article addresses a program model developed to address the professional development needs of content teachers who work with English language learners (ELLs) and offers recommendations for teachers, administrators, school districts, state agencies, and institutions of higher education, to address job-embedded professional development needs.…

Having professional learning communities in place enables teachers and staff members to provide targeted assistance to students who need it. This article discusses Chardon (Ohio) High School's professional learning community program which provides time and support for students and teachers. Through the program, the teachers meet every week during…

Current emphasis on teacher effectiveness in educational policy poses a challenge for the evaluation of special education teachers and English language learner (ELL) specialists. Most evaluation systems focus on student achievement and teacher practice; however, few systems have the capacity to differentiate among specialty area educators, address…

This report aimed to measure the impact of a unique professional development program entitled Project ASTER III (Active Science Teaching Encourages Reform) on teachers' self-efficacy and perceptions about inquiry-based science teaching. Project ASTER III enabled teachers to explore inquiry-based science teaching through exhibit-based…

In June 2007, the Arts Education Partnership (AEP) convened the directors of eight collaborative entities to discuss promising practices for integrating the arts into the lives and curricula of urban public schools as a means of fostering system-wide educational improvement. The seven school-community collaboratives and one higher education…

This article describes how the author changed a gloomy and outdated library into a cheery and welcoming place for teaching and learning. When the author was hired as the new library media specialist at Tri-County Career Center Library in Nelsonville, Ohio, the library was antiquated, uncomfortable, and not geared for the present-day hills of…

In this chapter, the authors discuss how the previous chapters has provided so much insight into the ongoing research on professional development of physical education teachers. They further discuss that the introduction of new professional development resources, provided in collaboration with a research university, has allowed teachers to form…

Professionals in family and consumer sciences (FCS) encounter children with an autism diagnosis more frequently than they did in the past, but often have had no specific preparation for working with this population. The Paula and Anthony Rich Center for the Study and Treatment of Autism at Youngstown State University was established to improve the…

Bechtel and O'Sullivan suggest that teacher change within the context of professional development (PD) is influenced by the design and content of PD initiatives. This paper examines the influence of an initiative designed to stimulate reflection and discussion among experienced teachers. It has been argued in the physical education literature and…

This brief article describes one teacher's experience moving to a new school and the lessons learned from that experience. It touches upon: finding a sense of belonging as a new, yet experienced teacher; creating a balance; and the moment of breakthrough.