The major objective of this evaluation was to determine whether "The Slow Learner in the Secondary Schools" program had any impact on the educational environment of the slower learners in Burnaby (B.C.). The objective of the program was to produce measurable impact regarding changes in the attitudes, instructional strategies, curriculum, and use…

In response to criticism regarding unimaginative, didactic education in pharmacy education one faculty was evaluated by an outside consultant and, as a result, developed a comprehensive course in pharmacotherapeutics to help students integrate information from several disciplines and to become better problem solvers. In order to evaluate the…

Peer-Mediated Self-Appraisal facilitates merit pay decisions by combining summative (standard professional review) and formative (teaching processes and strategies) evaluation. It requires clear teaching standards, objective measures, and community acceptance of teachers as professionals. Two figures compare formative and summative evaluation and…

The Pacific Communities with High-performance in Literacy Development (Pacific CHILD) Professional Development Model research project was initiated in response to an overwhelming need in PREL's Pacific service region for improvement of teachers' knowledge and instructional practices in early reading. This report examines the question of the…

This report examines the design and operation of efforts by several states that are implementing initiatives to improve low performing schools, drawing out lessons that could be applied in Tennessee. It focuses on why initiatives in Kentucky and North Carolina deserve attention; core ideas shaping Kentucky's and North Carolina's programs; what…

This paper discusses issues regarding the continuum of teacher preparation, particularly related to the alignment between degree programs in institutions of higher education and the professional growth of teachers. Guided by interviews with faculty at institutions that are aligning their master's degrees with National Board for Professional…

In 1998, the Network expanded its project in Connecticut to a series of 10-day workshop. The Network brought together representative 12-member teams from eight Title I elementary schools to learn about successful research-based reform models and best practices. The teams designed a 3-year Reform Blueprint with goals and objectives, including…

This report marks a midpoint in the Annenberg $500 million challenge to improve public schools. It comes at a time when evidence from the Annenberg Challenge's first projects has started to accumulate--and to suggest that the program is indeed having a beneficial impact on students, schools, and communities. This report also furnishes early…

Teacher inservice training is critical to the continual development of effective classroom instruction. Professionals who consistently improve their instruction positively impact student performance. Many inservice training sessions use formats that are not conducive to effective adult learning. Good training uses flexible formats, job-applicable…

In little over a decade, England has given its 24,000 governing boards of public schools the power to hire their principals and virtually autonomous authority over their school budgets. England established, and then curtailed, a national voucher program. It made all its public schools "schools of choice." It created a new type of public…

This case study of a predominantly middle class, suburban community college examines the role of faculty culture in hindering or facilitating student learning. The conclusions emphasize the need to recognize the diversity of college types, faculty, and students. (Author/MLW)

Uses a model of teacher transformation in aesthetic education to illustrate four teachers' learning processes about drama (two elementary and two middle school bilingual teachers of Spanish) in an introductory course on creative drama. Describes how, through reflective discussions, writings, and activities, the teachers experienced personal…

Early childhood intervention service providers (N=242) in Louisiana reported that their inservice training experiences were primarily of a passive nature, and few received support following training. More dynamic training strategies such as teacher modeling, small-group discussions, and opportunities to practice targeted skills were felt to more…

Establishing and sustaining quality teaching is equally dependent on the capacity of organizations and networks at regional, district and school levels to productively engage in improvement efforts that are realized in the classroom. The "teacher workforce" evokes military and industrial images, huge numbers of workers who must be trained,…

This study outlines and evaluates an urban school district's mentoring program in which 18 veteran teachers are selected to serve as full-time mentors for up to 10 beginning teachers or 4 persons participating in an alternative certification program. Methods of data collection included surveys and focus group interviews with mentor teachers,…