In her first year as superintendent of the Atlanta Public Schools, Beverly Hall encountered what she describes as the nearly universal disbelief that poor children of color can achieve high levels of learning. This chapter recounts how she confronted this and other obstacles and challenges as the new leader of the Atlanta Public Schools. Hall is…

This study examined the attitudes of junior and senior studio art majors toward their education and choice of school through analysis of questionnaires completed by 22 students, fieldnotes, and in-depth interviews with 6 students. Students were also questioned concerning what connection they saw between their matriculation and their expectations…

Teachers describe their professional development experiences regarding science, science teaching, and science learning as they occurred over a 2.5 year period in the Literacy in Science and Social Studies Project in a professional development school setting. They contrast their experiences in this collaborative setting with more traditional models…

Consistent with education reform efforts, the achievement of systemic change in American education demands that school improvement efforts be fused with professional development opportunities that lead to self-renewal for teachers. This report emanates from a 5-day conference of the Christa McAuliffe Institute for Educational Pioneering (CMI), an…

This study was conducted to examine a restructured inner-city school and a second-grade teacher's personal and collaborative efforts to teach all of her students to become literate. To do so, she needed to adopt a feminist view recasting the teacher's role in school reform as that of an individual with knowledge who can act upon the world, rather…

Recounts the personal experience of returning to the elementary classroom in a rural Ozark school after 30 years in teacher education. Describes how the teacher and the school are often the only hope of children who are engulfed in economic poverty and lack personal security. (NEC)

The days following September 11, 2001, were characterized for many by a startling clarity, as if someone had applied a magnified lens to life's everyday routines and every moment, every gesture, every word exchanged with friends, colleagues and family was more nuanced and precious than before. The decision to publish this volume of essays was…

This briefing paper provides background information and reports on the achievements and future challenges of the Preschool Grants Program of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Section 619 authorizes grants to states to provide special education and related services to children, ages 3 through 5 years, with disabilities. This…

This book details the experiences of a teacher in a Haitian-populated preschool in an urban area of the United States, focusing on the development of literacy and English as a second language. An introductory chapter describes the children, some of their personal and cultural background, their classroom demeanor, and the context in which they were…

A teacher of English in China describes his experiences teaching the listening component of a summer course designed to help 37 doctoral students improve their English skills before beginning an agricultural economics program. In the listening component, students were to gain experience in notetaking while listening to extended academic lectures.…

Describes a professional development research project concerned with equity in mathematics education. Project goals include teacher collaboration to learn about equity, racism, and schooling. Also, through the sharing of personal experiences, teachers learn how gender and cultural bias affect mathematics learning and their interactions with their…

Summarizes some of the research involved in a current oral history project that examines the migration of southern African American women to Cincinnati, Ohio. Discusses the reasons for leaving the South as well as the role women played in keeping families together while attempting to provide some continuity to their lives. (MJP)

The autobiographical stories of one college student about her childhood are used to help prospective teachers at Brooklyn College (New York) understand individual and child psychology in social context, particularly the roles of adults in the child's world. This may be useful to teachers in understanding their own relationships with students. (MSE)

A counselor at a rural high school in New York reflects on her career and addresses issues facing rural school counselors. She chose a career in school counseling based on her interests in education, community involvement, and adolescents. As the only high school counselor for 280 students, she soon realized that rural youth faced many of the same…

This special issue of the Family Resource Coalition Report presents personal experiences and reflections regarding parent involvement and leadership in family support. Articles in this issue are: (1) "The Vaughn Family Center: It's My Story" (Jorge Lara and Matt Oppenheim); (2) "Asking the Right Questions is Key to Developing Parent…