Throughout the United States school principals are subject to increasingly high demands for student accountability. Under the pressures and mandates of this federal legislation, principals are asking themselves what specific leadership practices affect student achievement. A review of literature shows that principals are regarded as a major factor…

Increasingly school change processes are being facilitated through the formation and operation of groups of teachers working together for improved student outcomes. These groupings are variously referred to as networks, networked learning communities, communities of practice, professional learning communities, learning circles or clusters. The…

One of the aspects of the combination of educator and historian that has not been thoroughly researched is the actual interaction of the instructors themselves. How do they approach this blend of content and pedagogy? How do they construct the purposes of the course? This study addresses these questions. Rather than focus on the student outcomes,…

It is widely recognized today that a teacher's surrounding professional community inevitably affects the kind of teaching that students are offered. However, until recently, it has been difficult to quantify and systematically study the nature of professional relationships in schools and districts. The articles in this special issue provide a…

Over the past seven years, research teams from the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education (NRCCTE) have been at work testing curriculum integration models. Each of three studies--Math-in-CTE, Authentic Literacy-in-CTE, and Science-in-CTE--has focused on the development of pedagogic frameworks and delivery of professional…

The professional development schools (PDS) effort, which grew out of the groundbreaking work of the Holmes Group (1986), was deliberately focused on the support and advancement of teachers as professionals and the professionalization of teaching, so the author argues that it is ironic that a volume about PDS might be seen as voicing an opinion…

This article is focused on identifying the current issues in elementary education in the United States. In each of these issues, elementary educators are at the crossroads looking for solutions and directions. Based on the review of literature, the authors pinpoint the upcoming challenges elementary school educators will be facing in the future.…

This article presents the findings of research in Russia on the degree to which teachers and school principals are active and how they currently network with their colleagues. It builds on the work of David Frost and John Bangs (2012) on teacher self-efficacy using a survey and semi-structured interviews with teachers and principals to collect…

This article examines the Erasmus Mundus Special Educational Needs (EM SEN) programme experience and the ways in which it influenced the authors' perception of reflection and research involving inclusive education. The authors argue that incorporating reflective practice and research into an international Master's programme holds promise for…

Professional learning communities (PLCs), with their attributes of shared values, high expectations, and collaboration, have the potential to change school culture. The 4 elementary schools in this study have been unable to sustain ongoing, effective teamwork, resulting in a failure to attain adequate progress, and in 2 schools, in the placement…

The enactment of No Child Left Behind (2002) and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act had a significant impact upon how we hold schools and its students accountable for high stakes testing. In particular, students with educational disabilities who were previously exempted from any performance accountability on…

Recent education reforms have begun to reframe academic discussion and teacher practice surrounding bilingual educational approaches for preparing "21st century, college and career ready" citizens. Given this broader context, in this article we examine ways that we might join implementation of dual language programs, Common Core State…

This paper examines the ways in which school teachers and university faculty can work together for the purposes of school reform, professional development and educational research. The paper describes the ongoing interactions between teachers and university personnel in two sites in Australia. Each case considers the ways in which the interaction…

Formed in 2007, the Riverpoint Partnership for Math and Science is a group of Spokane K-12 and college administrators who came together to use their combined resources and knowledge to focus on improving student learning. With a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the group launched the Riverpoint Advanced Mathematics Partnership project…

What does good co-teaching look like in an inclusive classroom, and how can a general and special educator build a strong, respectful, and productive partnership? Find out in this introductory how-to guide, ideal for helping current and future co-teachers minimize conflict, maximize teamwork, and ensure the best outcomes for all students in Grades…