In examining recruitment and retention of teachers in rural areas, David Monk begins by noting the numerous possible characteristics of rural communities--small size, sparse settlement, distance from population concentrations, and an economic reliance on agricultural industries that are increasingly using seasonal and immigrant workers to minimize…

This collection is based on two studies of approaches to increasing the supply of minority teachers. The first was a documentation study of programs supported by the Ford Foundation Minority Education Demonstration Project designed to attract minority candidates, prepare them well, and present model programs. The second study described a range of…

A survey instrument was sent to state departments of education requesting information on: (1) teacher preparation in science and mathematics education; (2) teacher availability in these areas; (3) secondary science and mathematics curricula; and (4) recommendations for alleviating any shortages of mathematics and science teachers. Responses from…

This report summarizes the activities of the California Mathematics Project established in 1983 using survey data, classroom observations, and interviews. The central goal of this program was to provide leadership in improving the quality of mathematics instruction throughout the state of California. Information was collected for use in planning…

The problem of attracting and retaining qualified teachers is defined; and the complicating factors, current research, and policy options and implications are outlined in this issue brief. Complicating factors cited range from increased employment opportunities for women and minorities outside the teaching profession to difficulty in objectively…

In compliance with Minnesota Statute 127A.05, Subdivision 6, the Educator Licensing and Teacher Quality Division of the Minnesota Department of Education contacted all public school districts and charter schools in December 2004 and January 2005 in an attempt to determine how school districts and charter schools were succeeding in staffing the…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 poses unique challenges for rural schools and districts. Small schools are more likely to be labeled as needing improvement due to the volatility of annual test scores for small student populations. Rural districts are limited in their capacity to provide parents with school choice, and rural districts face…

The federal Class-Size Reduction (CSR) Program, P.L. 105-277, begun in Fiscal Year 1999, represented a major federal commitment to help school districts hire additional qualified teachers, especially in the early elementary grades, so children would learn in smaller classes. The CSR program also allowed funds to be spent as professional…

In recent years, the debate over teacher quality and preparation has gained new urgency. Competing groups of partisans have dominated this debate: one seemingly eager to assail the nation's education schools and to suggest that there is an insufficiently defined body of professional teaching knowledge, the other committed to advancing…

Three components of the teacher shortage are the recruitment challenge, the retention problem, and the demand for teacher quality. Although the teacher shortage problem involves many factors, any solution must address salaries. Rural districts face a threefold disadvantage: teachers are not compensated as well as other rural professionals; rural…

This policy brief examines programs from California and elsewhere in the United States for attracting and retaining quality preschool and child-care staff and places these programs within the broader context of K-12 reforms. While this brief is specifically aimed at early-childhood-education planners and policymakers, it contains information for…

Edvantia, Inc. (formerly AEL) publishes "TransFormation" twice a year to provide policymakers with interpretive summaries of significant reports and rigorous studies about school transformation, giving special attention to research with possible implications for improving low-performing schools.This final print issue of…

This report summarizes evaluation results for AISD's federally-funded Title VI class size reduction program activities during the 2000-2001 school year.

Authors of these books spend little energy on defending multiculturalism and instead focus on specific programs, strategies, and outcomes of multicultural teaching practices in higher education. Two of the books focus on the challenges of teacher education in the face of growing diversity; the third concerns multicultural teaching at the…

This paper presents preliminary evaluation results of the Comprehensive Teacher Institute (CTI), an experimental, state-funded, five-year teacher preparation program located in a large California urban area. Program features include paid student teaching, two years of beginning teacher support, and recruiting underrepresented minorities. CTI…