Using an Israeli case study of an innovative secondary program to make female students more employable after graduation, this article explores barriers to and benefits of teacher/specialist teams in school reform, arguing that the team approach makes sense only if it is accompanied by a shift in thinking about teaching and school practice. (SM)

Consistent with education reform, the chapters in this book examine how to better prepare teachers for leadership roles in the profession. Following the introductory material, the volume is organized into four sections. The first section, "Contexts for Leadership and Change," provides an introduction, "Contexts: Overview and…

This collection of four case studies discusses the work of teachers and their efforts to change their classrooms, schools, and districts. The case studies show that teachers can learn to use their own strengths and talents, knowledge, shared vision, and commitment to student growth and development to effect change. The first case study,…

This study examined whether there were significant differences in the level of knowledge regarding curriculum reform efforts in mathematics and science and the level of incorporation of these new standards and recommendations into the curriculum among districts of varying size in Iowa. Data were gathered from respondents to school surveys of…

Pre-service programs for secondary teachers have traditionally involved method subjects, where participants are inducted into the curriculum practices of two disciplinary or subject areas. In 2003, Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne, enrolled a small group of fourteen pre-service teachers into an innovative Graduate Diploma of Secondary…

Reports a study that examined 16 educational reform networks that are used as alternative forms of teacher and school development. The results identified five shared organizational themes and five shared tensions. This paper describes educational reform networks, discusses essential elements, examines the themes and tensions, and suggests…

A study of the roles of vocational and academic teachers in the integration process involved interviews with 109 principals, other administrators, counselors, and vocational and academic teachers at 10 school sites. The research was designed to build upon and complement studies identified in a literature search that had examined other facets of…

An examination was done of school reform efforts supported by Bank Street College of Education's Center for Minority Achievement in two urban junior high schools in New York City. One school was a traditional junior high school with majority minority enrollment with most teachers using traditional techniques. The other school, the Media Arts…

The theoretical and practice-based framework is presented for a study that explored the effect of teachers' use of alternative assessment on their mathematics teaching. A model for the impact of alternative assessment on teacher knowledge and classroom teaching processes is proposed, building on work by E. Fennema and M. L. Franke (1992) and P. L.…

Northwest Guilford High School, Guilford County (North Carolina), is an essentially rural, largely white school that serves about 1,200 students from all socioeconomic levels. An evaluation was conducted of a heterogeneous grouping project involving students in a 2-year sequence of algebra for those who scored below the 40th percentile on a…

Innovation has become common fare in all phases (preservice, induction, inservice) of the teacher education continuum. This review of the literature looks at innovative practices since 1987. Six chapters elaborate on innovations in teacher education from different vantage points. The first chapter includes a rationale for the review and summarizes…

The State Higher Education Executive Officers' Task Force on Achieving National Education Goals found four issues of immediate concern to higher education one of which was the role of higher education in accelerating school reform. This document presents a set of recommendations on that issue. Schools and universities must establish high learning…

Teams of teachers from four middle/junior high schools, in collaboration with faculty from the University of New Hampshire and consultants from the New Hampshire State Department of Education, implemented systemic changes in the teaching of mathematics and science. The curriculum goal was to design, adapt, implement, and evaluate hands-on,…

The United States has engaged in intensive reform efforts in school mathematics education in the decade since the publication of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' Standards for School Mathematics. This context has generated interest in how to best develop reform-oriented teachers. In this article the authors describe their thinking…

This book serves as a response to recurring questions from preservice teachers regarding the practice of student-centered teaching within the traditional school culture. The book uses the experience of one beginning teacher, Sheila, to develop its theme. It suggests that if practicing teachers have direct continuing access to teacher educators for…