"Learning how to Learn--in classrooms, schools and networks" is a four-year, multi-site project funded under the Economic and Social Research Council Teaching and Learning Research Programme and concerned with the development of formative assessment practice. This article describes how analysis of a large double-scale questionnaire…

In order to examine trends in educational reform in Kentucky, two studies of student portfolio evaluations as perceived by Kentucky teachers were described and compared. Under the Kentucky Educational Reform Act, student portfolios can serve as a basis for official evaluation of school performance. The first study, conducted in the fall and spring…

This paper reports on a study of the impact of educational change on teachers' work in two Australian state education systems. The study was conducted in 1994 with a sample of 89 teachers and 87 school principals working in state schools in South Australia and Tasmania. Data were gathered through a semi-structured interview schedule and…

This paper describes the general features of educational reform in Spain that emphasize increased school autonomy and teacher collaboration and professionalization and have been initiated since 1978 when a new constitution was democratically approved. The first section which offers background to the reforms describes the general impact of the new…

Preparing teachers of at-risk students in urban schools is examined, focusing on the issues raised in teaching disadvantaged students and the problems of teaching in an urban school system. The broad thesis underlying the discussion is that to fulfill human potential, society must have the widest and most popular forms of political freedom and…

Results of a study designed to explore the construct validity of the Change Facilitator Style Questionnaire (CFSQ) as a measure of the aspect of a principal's leadership style that includes leader behavior and combinations of behavior influenced by such things as belief systems, and knowledge and attitudes about leadership. The sample consisted of…

This paper presents findings of a study that explored the link between school reform and classroom practice. Two interdisciplinary teacher teams comprised of a total of 11 teachers were studied at Cross Keys Middle School in Flourissant, Missouri, to understand how school-level reform becomes translated into classroom practice. Data were collected…

The experiences of two mathematics teachers at a high school in which assessment reform is being encouraged are described. The school district had decided that the implementation of authentic assessment and assessment reform would be levers to broaden school reforms. Observations in the Algebra 2 class of one teacher and the Algebra 1 class of…

Consistent with education reform efforts, the achievement of systemic change in American education demands that school improvement efforts be fused with professional development opportunities that lead to self-renewal for teachers. This report emanates from a 5-day conference of the Christa McAuliffe Institute for Educational Pioneering (CMI), an…

The mandated minimum competency programs of two states--Pennsylvania and Maryland--are examined, and some of the effects on school districts of raising the testing stakes are reviewed. In a survey conducted during the winter of 1986-87 in Pennsylvania and Maryland, one teacher, one principal, and one central office staff member each from 277…

This report analyzes turnover among members on core planning teams (CPTs) in the 41 Phase I Chicago (Illinois) public schools participating in the Project CANAL model for school-based management. The analysis covers two periods of time: Year 1 to the beginning of Year 3, and Year 2 to the beginning of Year 3. Overall, substantial turnover was…

Middle and high school American history teachers in Lake County, Illinois, use an innovative model of professional development created through collaboration between higher education institutions and public school districts. Goals of McRAH (Model Collaboration: Rethinking American History) are to (1) raise student achievement and engagement by…

In 1993 the Council for Basic Education assisted in the drafting of academic standards for the students of the Chicago (Illinois) Public Schools. The results of this project, the Chicago Learning Outcomes, are now the official basis for designing new curricula, citywide assessments, and professional development throughout the district. The Chicago…

A key objective of a federally funded grant received by the Wake County Public Schools (North Carolina) was to develop new methods of assessment. The school district decided to fulfill this objective by developing student electronic portfolios. In spite of careful planning, the development of the electronic portfolios was filled with difficulties.…

Argues that teaching is a form of social activism and that teacher educators should encourage preservice teachers to think deeply and critically about teaching and consider infusing aspects of a multicultural, social reconstructionist approach within their own teaching. (SM)