This report examines the nature and extent of professional development activities, assesses the current National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) collection of professional development data, and recommends ways to enhance that data collection. Section 1, "Overview and Background," introduces the subject. Section 2, "Linking…

This collection of papers focuses on what is known and practiced in professional development. Part 1, "The Purposes of Professional Development," includes (1) "Educational Purposes and Teacher Development" (Maxine Greene); (2) "Going Public: The Imperative of Public Education in the 21st Century" (Carl D. Glickman and…

This paper describes student teacher evaluation at Evergreen State College, Washington, examining its 2-year, graduate-level initial certification program. The school began by reviewing its full-time student teaching program, testing a modified version of Danielson's (1996) "Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching." All…

Illinois, in partnership with the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, is transforming its teacher preparation and training sequence into a strong teacher development system that will result in improved teacher recruitment, preparation, induction, certification, professional development, and retirement. This paper outlines the…

Discusses the difficulty of reflection in teaching given the norms of the profession and the context of the work. The article describes research on ways teachers adapt and tailor lessons to changing circumstances and class populations, and reports on teachers' reflective practices. (GLR)

This article analyses ongoing work at the University of Geneva to reform programs to fit the principles of the Bologna Declaration. Analysis of the national context addresses how Swiss universities are currently building a Swiss area of higher education along similar lines to the European Area of Higher Education. Focus is put on the role of the…

At present, there appear to be only two prerequisites for entry into a music teacher education program at most institutions: a minimum academic grade point average and sufficient musical competence to be admitted to the school of music. These seem overly minimal, and serious suggestions have been made regarding additional essential requirements.…

The purpose of this paper is to inform novice science teachers and science teacher educators of the pedagogy that science teacher supervisors value. As expert practitioners, supervisors have a perspective quite different from that of both novice teachers and teacher educators. Nine inservice science teacher supervisors assessed a novice teacher's…

The National Partnership for Excellence in Education and Accountability in Teaching (NPEAT) helps place improvement of teaching at the center of reform efforts, addressing two problems that impede the development of systemic reforms to improve teaching quality: (1) absence of agreement about effective strategies for improving teaching among those…

An expansion of suggestions provided to beginning graduate students who plan to function as teaching assistants is presented. Suggestions fall into the major categories of: advice from over 100 beginning teachers who just finished their first year of teaching; needed information at the beginning of the teaching term; shifting pre-lesson overviews…

Describes the author's five years directing the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE), an accrediting agency for institutions which offer preparation programs for Montessori teaching. Notes how she found the program to be a means of self-improvement, ensuring credibility with the public, and assuring Montessori teachers…

This articles describes the Scale for Coaching Instructional Effectiveness, an instrument to help special education peer coaches observe general education teachers' skills, strategies, and techniques and provide feedback in the areas of planning and organization, instruction, and classroom management. Presents three examples of the instrument…

Describes California's efforts to examine and shape beginning teacher induction policies in the California New Teacher Project and its successor, the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program. Key research findings related to support and assessment and the emerging policy directions resulting from this work are presented. (SM)

This paper explores perspectives on self-study in teaching and in research through a longitudinal school-based professional development program for science teachers. The exploration focused on two broad perspectives: (1) self-study can be both personal and collaborative; and (2) self-study can be of teaching and of research. The professional…

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of the activities, processes, and structures used to link a teacher evaluation program to professional growth and motivation. A total of 52 teachers in the Johnson City (Tennessee) School District were selected by both random and purposeful sampling techniques to participate. Data…