All students--particularly students of color--benefit academically and socially from having teachers who are people of color. However, people of color face systemic barriers to becoming and remaining teachers at multiple points throughout their careers. For example, people of color are more likely than their White peers to incur student debt,…

In 2007 the Oregon Legislature passed a policy requiring students receive a minimum weekly amount of physical activity in school: 150 minutes for elementary and 225 minutes for middle school students. However, no implementation guidance for teachers or school districts were included in the policy. This pilot study examines the differences between…

The purpose of this article is to share wisdom collected from the field and offer a view of meaningful learning, explore the tensions that exist in educators' work, and invite conversation about the future of educational practice. The anecdotes and data come from a series of research studies conducted from 2001 to 2011 by a cadre of middle grades…

"Education Matters" is the monthly newsletter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), an organization dedicated to advancing the American teaching profession through personal growth, professional development, teacher advocacy and protection. This issue of the newsletter includes: (1) Quality Counts: Doesn't It? (Kate Walsh and…

Questions related to the inclusion of students with disabilities in the Oregon statewide assessment program were sent to 1,201 special education teachers and 625 principals representing Grades K-12. Teachers and principals responded positively to questions probing their knowledge of statewide policy and their understanding of how to acquire…

In 1991, the Oregon State Legislature passed the Educational Act for the 21st Century. Since then, schools around the state have reacted in a variety of ways in an attempt to meet or avoid the law's requirements. A survey of schools and focus-group data from 18 Oregon schools were used to examine the policy articulation process from three…

This study explored staff and student perceptions of Portland Community College; various attributes and functions of the college were rated for their importance and for level of success in performance. A 48-item questionnaire was handed out at random to four groups: 400 students, 65 instructors, 64 administrators, and 73 classified personnel.…