In this article, using the context of a secondary literacy course, the author argues that personal experiences, praxis-based reflective opportunities, and pedagogically-minded assessments are important in shaping an emergent professional identity that effectively integrates literate practices with content instruction. This article examines…

This article reports results from a study of teacher beliefs among a panel of English and language arts teachers at three universities as the pre-service teachers entered methodological coursework and internships. Using a new assessment tool, the Developmental Instruction Assessment Battery (DIAB), along with a discrete choice task and one-on-one…

Research suggests that effective teaching is a significant, if not the most significant, indicator of student success. However, because teaching has become an increasingly challenging profession, school reformers have advocated that educational practices be based on evidence of student learning, suggesting that teachers should develop a stance…

To address the challenge of ensuring the quality of preparation of secondary mathematics and science teachers, this article describes the efforts of the "Academy for Teacher Excellence" (ATE; Flores et al., 2007), which received Transition to Teaching grants to establish the Accelerated Teacher Education Program (ATEP). ATEP's purpose…

Torey Hayden's teacher stories are first-person accounts of being a teacher in classrooms for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Hayden's books offer readers a real-world look at the joys and challenges of teaching children whose lives are marked by emotional and behavioral disorders, child abuse and trauma, anger and defeat.…

Learning within community settings provides preservice teachers important opportunities beyond those of traditional teacher preparation. Immersive learning opportunities within communities strengthen preservice teachers' repertoires and provoke new ways of thinking about how different settings create possibilities and constraints for student…

Developing a culture of evidence to assess and improve teacher preparation programs is a critical issue in American education. Teacher education has been struggling with the challenge of preparing and retaining sufficient numbers of high-quality teachers who can work effectively with students from all cultural and racial backgrounds, raising the…

This study took place at the University of Wyoming, located in the rural mountain West. The University of Wyoming, with approximately 13,000 students, is the only four-year university in the state. The teacher education population of the College of Education is about 600, and demographically, this population is about 90% White, predominately…

This study examined how one teacher education program is attempting to meet the needs of the field by ensuring that graduates have the knowledge, skills, and competencies to teach students with disabilities in inclusive classroom settings. As such, faculty assessed how instruction in their teacher licensure courses assists in the development and…

Partnerships, especially the Professional Development School (PDS) model, between institutions of higher education (IHE) and public schools (PS), have become, if not commonplace, a successful model for teacher education. PDS teacher education projects in which preservice teachers and higher education faculty participate in school-based instruction…

The effects of alternative models of supervision on preservice teachers' attitudes toward teaching, classroom performance, and satisfaction with supervision were investigated. Surveys indicated that, across all models, preservice teachers were significantly less positive about teaching by the end of the field experience. Results showed few…

Results of a study of 75 student teachers, who were evaluated by their cooperating teachers and university supervisors, provide no evidence that moonlighting reduces the effectiveness of student teachers in the classroom. Student teachers with dependents were rated lower in some instances. Implications for teacher education programs are outlined.…

Presents the results of a survey of Minnesota's teacher education leaders following enactment of new outcome-based state requirements for teacher preparation programs. Most agreed that many changes would be precipitated by the mandate, but a significant number were apprehensive and confused by what changes the new system might bring. (SM)