Examined the perceptions of Professional Development School (PDS) stakeholders to investigate the match between the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Draft Standards and PDS practice. Focus group data indicated that many aspects of the standards were successfully reflected, though some practices were not. Results…

Surveyed graduate students in a practitioner-based teacher education program regarding standards of learning and teacher training. Respondents considered teacher modeling of various instructional strategies and attitudes the most influential instructional strategy. They believed teachers needed training in cultural issues, learning styles, and the…

The SIP (Standards in Practice) instructional improvement program was successfully implemented in three El Paso school districts. Student scores have soared. Teacher development must be ongoing, site-based, and targeted to all students' specific needs. Teachers need strong verbal and math skills, deep content knowledge, and teaching skill. (MLH)

An emerging consensus exists in the school reform literature about what conditions contribute to student success. Conditions include high standards for academic learning and conduct, meaningful and engaging pedagogy and curriculum, professional learning communities among staff, and personalized learning environments. Schools providing such…

The issue of parental choice of school for their child has been a topical one in many contexts worldwide, and work has been undertaken in a number of national contexts to investigate the many factors at work in influencing such choice. This article considers parental choice within the specific context of bilingual (Spanish/English) schools in…

Currently, 848 Georgia public elementary schools that house third- and fifth-grades in the same building use the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation as a school improvement model. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether elementary schools that are SACS accredited increased their levels of academic…

This article presents a reading assessment pilot test that took place in the context of a process of analysis and dialogue aimed at contributing to the analysis of school quality in Peru, as part of a World Bank sector assessment. Peruvian first and second graders at the bottom half of the income distribution were asked to read a brief passage…

The National Science Education Standards recommend that science be taught using inquiry-based approaches. Inspired by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, we examined whether undergraduate students could learn how to conduct field research by teaching elementary school children basic neuroscience concepts in interactive workshops. In an…

This study documents the transformation of a graduate-level course for teachers that had traditionally been taught in a face-to-face (f2f) model, in multiple sections, at a large university. By designing the course for online delivery and developing various interactive multimedia modules, the university was able to offer the course at a…

This study investigated an apparent dilemma suggested by previous research on faculty orientations toward students and academic standards. Some research suggests that encouraging faculty to be student-centered is an effective way to increase student learning and development, while other research indicates that being student-centered leads to…

Educational policy alone will not create successful educational improvement. This summary presents key findings from 5 years of research on policy and finance, conducted by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE). Key findings include: (1) U.S. schools have demonstrated important, positive changes in practice, attitude, and student…

The CONSABE (Content Standards for Adult Basic Education) project has been a joint project of the San Diego Community College District and the National Institute of Literacy in Washington, D.C. to develop content standards for adult basic education (ABE). During the project, more than 350 adult students, business leaders, ABE teachers,…

This publication presents findings of a study that examined high schools with competency-based graduation systems. Data were obtained from interviews with officials at 29 schools in 17 states. Many of the schools were members of the Coalition of Essential Schools. Four schools are described in detail: Central Park East in New York City, New York;…

This report discusses the findings of a study that compared identified desirable characteristics of state accountability reports with 20 accountability reports generated by 7 states. Desirable characteristics included (1) clarity (the intended audience, statements of purpose, a description of the population being reported on and the states'…

A comparative curriculum analysis was performed of the associate degree, electronics engineering technology programs of the DeVry Institute of Technology (DIT), a corporation-owned proprietary school in Illinois, Lake Superior State College (LSSC) in Michigan, and Mesa Community College (MCC) in Arizona. The curricula were compared in terms of…