Major reform in the teaching profession involves (1) a shift from the view of teaching as a lifelong career, (2) a broadened definition of who a teacher is, and (3) a system of teacher self-renewal that involves national coordination, focuses on intrinsic awards, and includes rank differentiation among classroom teachers. (CS)

The effects of school restructuring on teacher education are explored. A research review of literature on teacher preparation over the past 10 years suggests that teacher commitment and collaboration are conditions that promote change to traditional teacher education practice. Needed changes in organizational policies and structures are also…

Traces the national reform movement in teacher education. making connections between elements of that reform and statewide reform in Maryland. Components in the Holmes Group, Carnegie Commission, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards are compared and contrasted to…

An alternative to the consumptive approach to reform is a productive model which utilizes practitioners' knowledge and seeks ways to enhance this knowledge. A dialogical evaluation method, such as horizontal evaluation, is one way to encourage teachers to recover what they know and to articulate and assess this knowledge. (IAH)

Poland is in the midst of sweeping educational reform, including reform of inservice teacher education. The system is abandoning totalitarianism for democracy. Most Polish teachers are specialized in only one subject, and there are surpluses of teachers in some subjects, so inservice education is focusing on helping teachers change specialties.…

The experiences of two school districts (Omaha, Nebraska, and Littleton, Colorado) highlight the actions needed to maintain the momentum of school improvement. Factors that influence momentum include strong and stable leadership, sufficient time to build relationships, empowerment of key parties, parental involvement, community support, staff…

Juxtaposes the issue of professional development, specifically teachers'"opportunity to learn," with how the workplace context of teaching supports impedes curriculum integration between vocational and academic education. Portraits of three urban high schools reveal the problem of professional development as one of reinventing the high school…

Whole-faculty study groups can help the entire faculty integrate and implement effective teaching and learning practices with the goal of increased student learning. The paper describes the reasons for and the development and implementation of whole-faculty groups, then examines one consultant's experiences with such groups in Georgia. (SM)

Examines the reconceptualization of curriculum studies, noting responses to interpretation, praxis, and institutional change. Rejecting the traditional theory-practice split in education raises the challenge of how to design empowering curriculum practice. The article describes preservice teacher education based on a specific interpretation of…

In rural China, the reform movement's goal was to universalize basic education by making education more compatible with local needs. This meant decentralizing school authority to increase local governments' involvement in school administration and revising curriculum content to increase schools' relevancy to specific communities' future economic…

Discusses the teacher assessment system of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The article explains the NBPTS policy on assessment and describes the NBPTS assessment model, which includes school site and assessment center modules. The assessment system leads to rigorous standards, national board certification, and…

The central component of the University of Cincinnati's teacher education restructuring involved development of a pattern language based on research in architectural redesign. The language identifies areas of knowledge necessary for teaching and specifies the processes and structures for achieving goals. It allows incorporation of goals and values…

Faculty should be conscious of the need for continuing education in teaching as well as in mastery of their disciplines. This chapter lists some resources to help faculty keep up to date. Resources include books, journals, workbooks, handbooks, sourcebooks, guidebooks, and newsletters. (Author/MLW)

Staff development programs should be established by using a set of assumptions grounded in research and best practice. The article examines faulty assumptions that guide too many programs, then presents 14 new assumptions that should guide effective practice and successful staff development. (SM)

Israeli case study explored the impact of introducing a student-centered writing instruction model within an educational system that did not support the approach. Teacher surveys indicated gains in self-efficacy, subject matter knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge. Environmental-organizational factors affected teacher change and teacher…