The paper analyzes the dialogical interaction between a group of third graders and their teacher in one classroom episode. The semiotic and cognitive activity of the dialogical interaction is considered to be an "interpreting game". The episode exemplifies how in dialogical interaction the back-and-forth loops of interpretation, intention, and…

One hundred sixteen rural general educators participated in an innovative 10-week training to learn instructional and behavioral strategies for working with students with disabilities in inclusive settings. Pre/post self-assessments of teaching skills showed significant improvements after training; elementary educators self-rated their skills…

The Early Childhood Comprehensive Technology System (ECCTS) was a 3-year collaborative project designed to implement and maintain a comprehensive technology system through on-going training, follow-up and technical support for teachers, team-based technology assessment for children with moderate to severe disabilities, technology integration into…

During the 1994-95 academic year, faculty and administrators in the College of Education at Illinois State University (ISU) (Normal, Illinois) along with teachers and administrators from the Community Consolidated School District 21 (Wheeling, Illinois) began discussions to establish a Professional Development School (PDS). In August 1995, 32 ISU…

In 1995, the Albuquerque (New Mexico) school district devised a plan to merge special education, cross-cultural education, Indian education, and Title I with the general education program, designated the Unified Education System (UES). Considering the abrupt implementation of UES in the first year and subsequent confusion regarding staff positions…

This study examined teacher empowerment through the development of individual and collective teacher efficacy. A content-centered staff development program implemented in a Michigan school district by the New Zealand Ministry of Education and Oakland University helped teachers develop efficacy in the teaching of mathematics and in the ability to…

Recently developed Professional Development School standards underscore the importance of professional learning community, inquiry, shared decision-making and a focus on student learning. These standards closely mirror the goals of "Critical Friends Groups," a significant movement in education to improve student achievement through…

This article explores the experiences of six First-year teachers working in the broad, cross-categorical field of early childhood special education. A multicase approach provided insight into the complexity of teachers' roles and work with young children with special needs in a range of settings, with children of various ages and developmental…

This monograph describes results of focus group interviews with 53 regular and special education teachers in Tennessee concerning their experience with inclusion of students with disabilities in regular education classrooms. An introduction notes the trend toward inclusion of students with disabilities in regular programs while providing needed…

This report presents the findings of a Project undertaken to address the broad question of how to ensure the engagement with learning of all middle years students and how to encourage in them a higher order of learning objectives and outcomes both now and throughout life. It builds on current nationwide and international efforts at school reform,…

This study compared the inclusive PIER program (French acronym for program intervention with at risk students), which was implemented in 13 third grade classes in Quebec (Canada) and compared with 13 third grade classes using a traditional resource room pull-out program over the course of a full school year. A total of 165 at-risk and 441 non…

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)-State Vocational Education Consortium's commitment to higher standards for and greater achievement of vocational students has brought substantial gains in student performance. SREB's High Schools That Work (HSTW), a school improvement initiative, documents achievement gains by vocational students. Data…

This report describes a study which identified concerns and questions of general and special educators about inclusion and effective strategies for operating a successful inclusion model. Seven pairs of special and general educators in elementary and middle schools comprised the primary study group. Study group pairs interviewed their faculties…

This book reviews key aspects social, psychological, cultural, and contextual of the development of collaborative partnerships between elementary/secondary schools and institutions of higher education, and examines especially the nature of collaboration as part of the framework of professional development. After an introductory chapter, the first…

In April, 1919, at the request of the Board of Education of Memphis, Tennessee, the United States Commissioner of Education submitted the conditions on which the Bureau of Education would make a survey of the public school system of that city. This study of the Memphis schools is intended to be a study of policies and practices; not of persons.…