Edvantia, Inc. (formerly AEL) publishes "TransFormation" twice a year to provide policymakers with interpretive summaries of significant reports and rigorous studies about school transformation, giving special attention to research with possible implications for improving low-performing schools.This final print issue of…

Business leaders created New American Schools (NAS) to develop "break-the-mold" designs for schools serving grades K-12. The notion of a design was meant to convey a coherent and comprehensive set of school-level practices that unified a school behind a goal of high performance by all students. These practices would cover all grades, all students…

This book describes complex issues involved in an elementary Professional Development School (PDS) partnership. Section one presents contextual information on the nature of the PDS phenomenon. It includes three chapters: (1) "Introduction and PDS as a Reform Initiative"; (2) "Methodology of the Case Study"; and (3)…

This paper describes college-school partnerships between Lesley College, Massachusetts and surrounding local schools. The partnerships fall into three categories: 1) training of preservice teachers in intensive, 1-year, field-based clinical masters programs, where coursework and field experience are integrated in an onsite clinical model; 2)…

One of five articles in the section on the "Promise and Purpose of Professional Development Schools," this article examines the interwoven pieces of professional development schools. It focuses on prioritizing the partnerships through collaborative planning, displaying a distinctive difference in teacher education and school reform, and…

Maintains that the traditional role of standards in elementary curriculum development is that of asking important questions regarding quality curriculum design and instruction. Presents seven questions to guide teachers as they utilize the standards. (CFR)

Discusses the role of standards, assessment, and program evaluation in the University of Southern Maine's Professional Development School (PDS) model. University and PDS faculty support standards-based assessment that is integral to the one-year graduate teaching internship and preparation program. Evidence indicates that shared responsibility for…

Legislative and programmatic efforts to improve teacher quality have become a major focus of state policymaking in recent years. States have employed numerous strategies in response to concerns about the preparation, quantity, and capacity of the teacher workforce. In this chapter, the authors introduce conceptual frameworks for understanding…

The area of teachers' continuing professional development (CPD) is of growing interest internationally. However, while an increasing range of literature focuses on particular aspects of CPD, there is a paucity of literature addressing the spectrum of CPD models in a comparative manner. This article therefore considers a wide range of international…

Change is hard work, even when we are convinced it is worth the effort. Teachers are expected to change without clear explanations or evidence of how the changes will benefit them or their students. Meaningful change is most likely to occur when teachers' beliefs, feelings, and personality are taken into consideration. This book applies the latest…

The shortcomings in elementary and secondary mathematics and science education have been the focus of numerous national reports calling for educational reform. In response to the recommendations contained in those reports, a variety of actions on the part of state education agencies (SEA) resulted. This document reviews the results of a project…

This annotated bibliography is part of a three-part report on creating high performing schools through organizational and individual learning. It includes such topics as: teachers supporting teachers; educational improvement via total quality management; overcoming barriers to organizational change; the institutionalization of public schools;…

Considers the role of school media librarians in changing educational environments. Highlights include a future education scenario; educational improvement; electronic information networking; constructivist versus instructional models of schooling; school computer network development, including costs; and library media leadership, including…

Describes the creation and design of Co-NECT, a computer and networking project created by Bolt Beranek and Newman Educational Technologies to help improve teaching and learning in K-12 schools. Discusses student and teacher experiences, evaluations of experiences, necessary school infrastructures, and the organization and politics of schools and…

Increasing teachers' senses of efficacy toward educating minority, poor, and low achieving students is an important element of school restructuring. Changing societal values toward individual differences and misconceptions about students' abilities to learn is essential. Teacher behaviors that are effective with low achievers are effective for all…