Inquiry science instruction is especially challenging in elementary grades where teachers are constrained by crowded curricula and time. Professional development (PD) may provide an opportunity to support elementary teacher development of inquiry science instruction. The study examines the inquiry practice of two teachers who participated in an…

This inquiry highlights K-12 teachers' commitment to turn their passion of providing equitable educational opportunities to all students into concrete actions. The inquiry uses a case study approach to investigate the process teachers undergo beginning in an MA course on multicultural education, and continuing through their MA program to define,…

The number of students in the science classroom who are learning English as a Second Language is increasing each day. This paper describes preliminary results of a California-based Teacher Enhancement project intended to increase elementary school teachers' science knowledge and ability to teach science to minority students and to promote the…

This paper describes a study of an organization development intervention with an eight-person teaching-support-administrative team in a suburban elementary school. Data for the study were gathered through observation by two participant-observers, through interviews with all eight direct participants in the team-building project, and through a…

The California Evaluation Improvement Project (EIP) was initiated to improve evaluation skills of educators through in-service training and to improve the use of evaluation data for program improvement by local education agencies. Four aspects of EIP are discussed: (1) determining evaluation needs; (2) selecting an appropriate service delivery…

This paper offers highlights from the final report of Stanford's School Leadership Study, which should be available in January 2007. It discusses various policy and resource factors that enhance or impede the implementation of exemplary programs that develop and support principals. Among the research questions that guided this study were a set…

In an effort to increase the knowledge about professional development programs that promote strong instructional leaders, the Wallace Foundation recently commissioned a study of innovative principal professional development programs and the policy and funding mechanisms that support them. In fall 2003, the foundation awarded a grant to a team of…

Highlights are presented of a California in-service fair, the "Teacher Teaser Show." Within a vaudevillian format, 15 minute presentations were made of exciting, successful teaching techniques in various subject areas. Interested audience members could join presenters after the show for more detailed information. Several of the…

Fifteen Teacher Education and Computer Centers (TEC) were funded by the California State Legislature to provide staff development services to teachers and administrators in all areas of the curriculum, but especially in mathematics, science, technology, and other curriculum areas in which there are significant shortages of teachers. This paper…

The regionalization of the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) in special education provides an effective and cost-efficient means of delivering training to parents and professionals. Public Law 101-476, the Individuals with Disabilities Act, mandated that each state form a CSPD, primarily to prepare personnel to educate children…

A description is given of the activities that occurred during the initial three years of planning and implementing a staff development program aimed at effective teaching and supervision in the Glendale, California, Unified School District. The report focuses on the third component of a five-year master plan, the planning and implementation of a…

Findings from an evaluation of Teacher Education and Computer (TEC) Centers were presented. The California State Legislature authorized 15 TEC Centers to provide staff development services to teachers and administrators. Evaluation of the Centers focused on several policy issues in order to describe the major accomplishments of TEC Centers on a…

Institutions of higher education in the western part of the United States have begun to respond to the challenges faced by teachers working with students from diverse cultural and ethnolinguistic backgrounds. To establish the extent to which institutions offer inservice courses related to multilingual settings, the METRO Center at the Southwest…

In an effort to address the problem of developing constructive suggestions for change in teacher education programs, a survey was taken of the member institutions of the California Council on the Education of Teachers, which offered a basic teaching credential. The survey found all institutions used multiple admission criteria; virtually none…

A description is given of a collaborative effort between a state university and a middle school in California. The program is designed to attract, train, and retain future teachers. Among other factors, the program explores effective instruction, curriculum strategies, utilizing clinical supervision, and current teaching/learning techniques. An…