This report presents findings of a Canadian national study of 1,492 regular classroom teachers, administrators, resource teachers, special class teachers, and university students on the inclusion of students with disabilities into general education classrooms. Three data sources were used in the research: an Educator Opinion Questionnaire,…

A case study was conducted to seek improved understanding of processes related to teachers' adoption of two classroom-based computer technologies--networked computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and desktop computer multimedia resources--at a selected magnet elementary school. A Stages of Concern Questionnaire was used to gather quantitative data,…

This paper describes the elements of university-school collaboration based on several field experiences that university students have had in area schools in connection with education classes often taught in those schools. These elements can serve as a guide to determine a university's or school's readiness for collaboration and identify potential…

This report is an outcome of the OSERS/OECD International Symposium on Inclusion and Professional Development held in Bethesda, Maryland, from September 24-26, 1998. The purpose of the symposium was to examine promising professional preparation practices that support the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education curriculum.…

This executive summary describes the implementation and effects of Project Transition, a program designed to help high school freshmen succeed by combining three strategies: student-teacher clusters with shared schedules, extra time for teachers to work together, and teacher coaching to support instructional change. Project Transition was…

This study examined the Model Education Center (MEC) Professional Development School (PDS), formed by San Diego State University and a nearby school district in 1984. The study investigated whether core beliefs embedded in the PDS had a lasting effect on the teachers it graduated. Participants included teachers at three target schools; teachers…

Special and general education faculty articulate issues and concerns regarding inclusive education within the fields of hearing loss, learning disabilities, emotional/behavioral disorders, severe disabilities, and visual impairments. Reflections from a general educator follow. The need for adequate classroom supports and increased collaboration in…

This study explored, through phenomenological interviewing, the impact of a semester-long collaborative professional development course on the perceptions and practices of four teachers in relation to their supervisory roles. Results indicated that the teachers valued work that was self-directed, considered their expressed needs, and let them…

This study investigated middle school organizational patterns and their impact on teachers' efficacy and perceptions of the working environment. Analysis of survey responses by 81 eighth grade teachers indicated that teachers on interdisciplinary teams with common planning time were significantly more positive than were teachers on…

Interviews and observations of an exemplary special education teacher produced a model of effective special education teaching in an inclusive rural elementary school. Using efficacy as a foundation, the special educator begins by promoting teacher collaboration, enabling regular and special educators to mentor and advocate for each other. A…

This paper describes a professional development program for teachers. The Certificate of Teaching and Learning (CTL), developed in Australia for Kindergarten through Year 12 teachers across all subject areas. It outlines the process of conceptualization, the dilemmas faced by the development team, and the final implementation across Australia.…

The impact of the Katz/Henry Faculty Development Model on teaching behaviors and student learning outcomes was assessed with 24 faculty members at 4 institutions in New Jersey. This model, known as "Partners in Learning" involved: faculty pairs who observe one another's class, partner meetings to discuss shared experience in the…

This booklet examines the issue of trust within the context of school improvement. Specifically, it looks at teacher-teacher and teacher-principal relationships. Drawing on existing research and the experiences of individual schools, it offers a summary of current literature and identifies specific steps that educators can take to increase the…

In an extensive review of research on teacher preparation, Wilson, Floden, and Ferrini-Mundy (2001) pointed out that "study after study show that experienced and newly certified teachers alike see clinical experiences (including student teaching) as a powerful--sometimes the single most powerful--component of teacher preparation". They go on to…

This article tells the story of the author's discovery of thinking skills, how this has affected her teaching, and how these ideas have now spread to other curriculum areas in her school. In November 2001 the author began to carry out a research project on thinking skills, introducing new activities into lessons to encourage pupils to think and…