This paper describes efforts to introduce teachers to three aspects of problem-based learning: (1) learning cases; (2) student-centered learning; and (3) small group cooperative learning. Problem-based learning was woven into the design of professional development institutes because of the organizers' idea that as teachers grow professionally in a…

This qualitative case study examines the use of teacher leaders to support fellow teachers in the implementation of a standards-based mathematics curriculum. Empirical and theoretical research advocate that teacher leaders need to internalize and embody seven interdependent leadership roles in order to create real and sustained change. Data were…

This paper presents the proactive steps taken by Idaho State University to address accountability in teacher education. The university addressed accountability mandates and new accreditation standards through a Web site (http://www.ed.isu.edu) that includes electronic documents providing evidence of meeting National Council for the Accreditation…

Events in the development of competency standards for the teaching profession in Australia are documented, including publishing articles and reports, conducting conferences, commissioning sets of standards, validating support for the competency framework, and promoting of standards by government and professional organizations. Competency-based…

In a climate of increasing concern with educational accountability and quality, it has been important to reappraise the issues of assessment and evaluation in relation to early childhood care and education. This document is comprised of three papers describing approaches to assessment and evaluation used in Te Whariki, a national curriculum…

One of the most common questions mathematics teachers hear from their students is a question of content value: "When am I ever going to use this?" This research paper looks at the question of content value for students enrolled in an elementary methods course designed to help them develop their abilities to teach mathematics At the end of each…

This paper presents the preservice teacher portfolio as a multidimensional tool, addressing three dimensions of the portfolio based on data compiled within one university's teacher preparation program. It recommends the preservice teacher portfolio as a viable tool for assessing preservice teachers' capacity (knowledge, skills, dispositions, and…

This study on elementary science teaching enhancement was conducted in a program based on the professional development schools (PDS) model of teacher education and the National Science Education Standards. The premise being that if the PDS model can generally improve teacher preparation and P-12 education, perhaps, an integration of the PDS model…

This paper recounts how one urban-based university addressed the need for teachers to acquire the knowledge and skills required to take on increasing types of leadership roles. The university formed a partnership with a nonprofit organization to design and implement a 32-semester hour master's degree program to address the issue. The program…

Family day care is generally defined as the care of six or fewer unrelated children in a caregiver's home. However, there are no national standards or regulations for family or group child care homes, and the definitions of family child care vary from state to state. Regulated providers have been rated as more sensitive and observed to offer more…

This report presents U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige's "back to school" address to the National Press Club on September 4, 2001. Noting that little progress has been made despite $147 billion spent on federal education programs since the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the speech discusses the principles of the…

The continual evolution of the national technology standards creates a continual state of flux within the world of instructional technology. However, this creative online environment offers the possibilities that may not be available within other specialization areas; namely, the opportunity to reinvent conceptual frameworks of understanding and…

It is imperative that classroom teachers encourage emergent literacy without sacrificing literature or an introduction to some of the basic concepts in the content areas. This annotated bibliography features some examples of titles recommended by "Best Books for Children" which carry content standards recently established by national…

The foundations of national bibliography remain an effective legal deposit regime and the use of widely accepted bibliographic standards, but its nature, format, presentation, and way in which national bibliographies are produced are evolving to reflect changes in technology and user expectations. This paper presents experiences in Australia,…

This study investigated English teachers' beliefs about how recent legislated changes had affected aspects of their working lives and the extent to which centrally determined objectives were already incorporated into schools' programs of development. Data were collected in the 1991-92 and 1995-96 school years. In the first phase, interviews with…