Analyzes data from a questionnaire addressing preservice elementary teachers' negative attitudes toward social studies. Identifies and discusses six categories of concern: negative past experiences; lack of personal interest; confusion over the nature of social studies; conflicting beliefs; topic selection; and traditional teaching styles. (MJP)

Evaluation frames offer a practical, adaptable site-based staff development approach that serves as a vehicle for clarifying needs and planning. Evaluation frames within staff development empower teachers to define and design innovations around their unique experiences. The paper describes the method and presents a sample staff development…

Discusses the use of teaching portfolios and portfolio-based conversations with colleagues to enhance teacher effectiveness, presenting a portfolio conversation guide that highlights the importance of conducting the sessions properly, organizing an appropriate group, and focusing on specific portfolio contents. Implications for teacher education…

A unique, successful staff development program in three Louisville (Kentucky) middle schools provides opportunities for teachers of disadvantaged students to build pedagogical skills. The High5 Project promotes strategies for realizing high expectations, content, support, energy, and involvement. The paper examines change strategies and discusses…

Describes the development of a successful, specialized, collaborative training program created by the San Francisco Unified School District and San Francisco State University to produce more effective educational leaders for urban schools, thus improving student achievement and enhancing educational environments. (SM)

Explored relationships between school and college faculty, in the context of graduate school and as colleagues collaborating to improve children's education. Data from dialogic inquiry, interviews, and surveys indicated that the collaborative, reciprocal process of struggling to understand inconsistencies created as they worked to transform…

Using music, story, and prayer, this conference presentation describes the African American spiritual experience with curriculum, explaining what African American spirituality is, who African Americans are, why spirituality is critical to African Americans, and where this spirituality is found, then linking it to education. (SM)

Provides examples of schools and districts nationwide that use data-based decision making effectively to enhance beginning teacher induction, multi-age reading classes, literacy education, tracking of student achievement, ongoing staff development, and school discipline efforts. The programs share a commitment to putting data at the center of…

To offer students biological field experiences, teachers should use their own basic skills, be enthusiastic motivators, participate in community programs/courses/workshops to acquire additional skills/knowledge for outdoor biological education, plan outdoor excursions with safety considerations in mind, and use available resources for classroom…

Investigates a variety of instructional strategies and teaching methods used in a graduate level multicultural education class. These included autobiographical analysis, role playing, and dialog journals, as well as, more traditional methods such as guest speakers and lectures. Discusses how the insights gained could be used in future research.…

To explore the implications of recommendations from national reports on teacher education reform, a university course was designed for teachers using practical inquiry to structure the use of craft knowledge, collaboration, and reflection. Participating teachers reported that they gained confidence in their teaching choices through the course.…

Teacher networks used in California and Vermont are examined. Interviews, observations, and document analyses identified how teacher beliefs, teacher experience, social influences, and practical circumstances interacted with program goals and methods to shape teachers' experiences with networks, views of teaching and learning, and classroom…

The National Center for Effective Schools worked to translate knowledge gained from research on effective schools, educational change, and organization development into a professional development program that builds the capacity of teachers, administrators, parents, and community members who are committed to making schools more effective. The…

A study of predominantly white teachers participating in a multicultural education staff development program illustrated how social class and gender experiences informed their understanding of the social order they used to understand race. Following the staff development, few teachers substantially restructured their perspectives about racial…

A framework for developing teachers' reflective decision making ability is provided along with specific staff development activities that promote teacher reflection. Strategies include conducting personal histories, video/audio self-assessment, journal writing, cognitive coaching, cases, role playing, and problem framing/action research. (SM)