The 42 school districts participating in the state of Washington's Inclusionary Practices Project achieved a significant 12.8% increase in inclusion in the least restrictive environment (LRE 1, or in general education for 80-100% of the school day) over four years, surpassing the state average increase of 6.8%. Katie Novak and Helene Paroff…

State-level leaders face a difficult challenge of determining where to invest scarce professional learning dollars. To address this challenge, a team of researchers and state-level science educators surveyed teachers to learn more about their vision for science education and what kind of learning opportunities they preferred. The survey enabled…

In response to local districts' needs for certified teachers with community roots who understand local schools and students, the authors developed an innovative alternative route for paraprofessionals based on a traditional bachelor's program. Their goals were to provide a rigorous, research-based program that allows paraprofessionals to get a…

The Math Wars continue to rage. And now the back-to-basics faction seems to dominate the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, whose recommendations will have as much effect on curriculum and instruction as those of the National Reading Panel. Mr. O'Brien joins those who have urged the panel to support the reform curricula developed under the…

This description of a model program developed in Washington State for improving teachers' classroom effectiveness includes an outline of the program's 15-step process and its three key concepts--involvement, ownership, and commitment--followed by discussions of resource people and the program's two-day problem-solving retreat. (JBM)