Describes a program at an Illinois middle school that was designed to increase reading achievement, vocabulary, and the enjoyment of reading. Highlights include the library's role; use of the Standardized Test for Assessment of Reading; the Accelerated Reader program; teacher training; teacher comments; and grant funds. Four appendices include:…

Low employment and underemployment rates for students with disabilities have drawn national attention resulting in federal legislation. The research literature indicates a strong relationship between job success and interpersonal factors, especially for employees with disabilities. This study investigated social skills and problem behaviors of…

This article reports a study of support for pupils with autism in a Scottish education authority. The pupils attend mainstream classes in primary schools but receive additional support from an outreach service. The study aimed to understand the nature of outreach support from a mainstream teacher's point of view. The principal data of the project…

The purpose of this study was to examine the startup of a charter elementary school specifically designed to be fully inclusive. Twenty-one adult stakeholders, including parents, teachers, staff, and an administrator, were interviewed and asked a series of questions designed to solicit information about what they identified as strengths and…

This book relates the personal and professional experiences of a nursery school teacher over the course of an entire school year, focusing on ways that early childhood educators can improve their teaching through self-reflection. Individual chapters address the end of summer and the preparation for the new school year, home visits, setting up the…

This guide explains in a step-by-step fashion how all educators can remodel their professional practice through cooperative teaching. The guide outlines the planning, implementation, and evaluation of cooperative teaching between general educators and special educators. After considering basic features of collaboration, ways to implement…

This study focused on the experiences of cooperating teachers beyond their immediate work with student teachers. The study was a major part of a collaborative action research project in which 172 cooperating teachers experienced the new role of "University Associate" as part of the University of California-Irvine Professional Development…

Each year, many teachers face the problem of where to place children who do not fit into the rest of the class. Retention is an option that is frequently considered for these children. Children considered for retention often have poor academic skills, are small in stature or the youngest in the grade, have moved or been absent frequently, do…

Professional Development Schools (PDS) are designed not only to educate novice teachers but also to be places where university and school faculties can collaborate on research and development. This study, the initial phase of a longitudinal study, attempts to discover if an early PDS experience can develop a stronger beginning teacher than a…

This study investigated faculty perceptions and attitudes toward organizational change in colleges and schools of education with regard to building collaborative partnerships with public school professionals. The purpose of the study was to confirm the existence of and describe the collaboration formation process within the conceptual framework of…

As part of an ongoing evaluation of the Chelsea Public School System-Boston University (BU) partnership in Massachusetts, a survey was done of 165 teachers to determine their reactions to this effort at school reform and their opinions concerning several matters related to education in Chelsea and the Chelsea-BU partnership. A year and a half…

This study documents the needs of Alabama's secondary educational programs and services for youth with disabilities. A short history of secondary school programs for youth with disabilities introduces the study. Areas examined are: curriculum and instruction, vocational/occupational opportunities, vocational education, independent living,…

This article tells the story of a group of teachers who experienced change in the face of a newly formed professional development school--one that loosely implemented many of the principles associated with the Holmes Group model. Specifically, these teachers became active participants on the Steering Committee, a group formed within the context of…

This study examines the manner in which primary schools, particularly at the school entry level, negotiate the process of parent-school collaboration in New Zealand. Parents' and professionals' attitudes about what parent roles are appropriate are also studied. The study describes the present range and levels of contact, and the amount of effort…

This paper discusses the principles and describes the planning and development of a student teaching program model for Northeastern Illinois University students. The program is in its fourth year and was collaboratively designed by faculty from the university and a local middle school. The model is based on the importance of communication,…