Many Pennsylvania colleges and universities require that teacher candidates pass a standardized assessment in order to gain formal entry in to their education programs. Standardized tests are also required for Level I teacher certification within Pennsylvania. The initial assessment required of all Pennsylvania preservice teachers for…

This essay builds on and extends earlier research and writing that the authors have done, trying to understand how a commitment to local engagement, which is the term commonly used at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), becomes embedded in the core work of the institution. Their inquiries have been guided by social psychologist Kurt Lewin's…

Leadership training programs have been around since the time of Plato, although only recently have educators begun to ask questions about these programs. Leadership training programs are defined as any form of growth or development that promote, encourage, and assist the expansion of knowledge and expertise required to optimize one's leadership…

"Higher Education Exchange" publishes case studies, analyses, news, and ideas about efforts within higher education to develop more democratic societies. Contributors to this issue of the "Higher Education Exchange" examine whether institutions of higher learning are doing anything to increase the capacity of citizens to shape…

The Urban Nutrition Initiative (UNI) is a University of Pennsylvania/West Philadelphia schools academically-based community service program that integrates academics, research, and service through service-learning and participatory action research. UNI is based academically within Penn's Department of Anthropology and administratively within the…

Project Success is a teacher, administrator, and university faculty designed program, aimed to improve teacher motivation and pedagogical skills, student attitudes and achievement, and parent attitudes in science and mathematics education for kindergarten through grade 3. The project used an education program that was self-pacing and…

The following are among the 34 papers included: "An Assessment of Support Staff Training in Public Two-Year Colleges" (Kuceyeski); "Attitude and Motivation of Vocational Student Teachers toward Teaching Commerce and Entrepreneurship" (Pihie, Elias); "Barriers Adult Office Education Students Encounter in Pursuit of…