In this article, the authors detail their attempt to encourage apprentices to merge theory and practice in a way that is atypical in teacher education. They base their approach on the idea that before stepping into the active work of teaching on their own, apprentices need more time observing children and seeing learning. Observing is hard to do…

This paper explores the potential contribution of education to sustainable development. Drawing on recent evidence it argues that education could play a stronger role--a position reinforced by the new sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, securing this contribution will have to be achieved in an era where educational delivery will be…

Researchers often presume that it is better to use administrative data from grades 4 and 5 than data from grades 6 through 8 for conducting research on teacher effectiveness that uses value-added models because (1) elementary school teachers teach all subjects to their students in self-contained classrooms and (2) classrooms are more homogenous at…

The research looks at the phenomenon of composite classes as experienced by the Murezi community. To gather the required data and to have an in-depth understanding of the Murezi school experience, the case study was employed and the questionnaire, interview and on-site observations were employed as data gathering instruments. The three were used…

This study contributes to the field by identifying a broad range of traditional and newer middle grade policies and practices, and determining in California which of these differentiate higher- from lower-performing schools serving similar student populations, with performance measured by the state's standards-based tests. Based on a sample of 303…

A "cognitive apprenticeship" approach was evaluated with 58 high-risk grade 7 social studies students. The three teachers were trained to provide explicit instruction of higher order cognitive strategies through modeling, monitoring, and collaborative role-playing activities. Students' writing showed significant improvements and was judged similar…

Written in response to requests from local school districts in New York State, this document provides information about the middle grades (grades 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) and the changing nature of students in these grades. The first section reports results of studies on this difficult developmental period that were conducted by three New York school…