This study describes the intellectual evolution resulting from persistent and careful consideration of beliefs and knowledge. Participants were prospective elementary school teachers enrolled in the University of California at Santa Barbara in a fifth-year post baccalaureate program. The study, parts of which began in 1990, sought to reconstruct…

This book demonstrates that block schedules provide opportunities for educators to address the needs of diverse student populations in general education classrooms. The inclusion of at-risk students and students with special needs into regular classrooms provides new challenges for educators, and block scheduling provides extended time for these…

Andrew Wrenn describes his work with Barry Williams and the teachers of the history department at Ailwyn School (11-14 comprehensive), Ramsey in Cambridgeshire. Devoting equal attention to the "what" and the "how" of history assessment, he shows how this group of teachers developed a fresh approach to assessment out of the…

The Interdisciplinary Teamed Instruction (ITI) project investigated the effects of interdisciplinary, teamed instruction on secondary school teaching and learning. It examined the effectiveness of a professional development model that facilitated the development, implementation, and evaluation of ITI. Through summer institutes and onsite…

This paper reports on research to determine how a school's organizational conditions and conception of teaming relate to teachers' sentiments about their work. The study proposes that people shape their beliefs and actions in concert with the structures around them. Study participants were 42 teachers at four suburban middle schools that had…

Investigated the effects of a year-long project designed to bring learning to the forefront in two urban accelerated schools through "Powerful Learning Partners" (collegial partners for teachers), "Powerful Learning Seminars" (teaching a constructivist approach), and a teacher-constructed checklist for teacher self-evaluation.…

An elementary special education teacher describes her research on program decision making for students with learning disabilities. The research highlights the need to consider all factors that may impact decisions and identifies three characteristics of decisions that, when present, contribute to teachers' confidence that the decision made is…

Describes corporate-derived teaching strategy called lesson study wherein teachers work to develop lessons, observe each other teaching lessons to see how they work, and then suggest lesson refinements. Provides examples of corporate change efforts (one successful, one not) and implications thereof for education. Evaluates two lesson-study…

In this interview, Alaska's statewide trainer in project-based learning recommends that teachers plan projects by identifying the desired results, determining acceptable evidence, then planning the learning experience. Project-based learning encourages teacher collaboration and engages students so that learning becomes relevant. Teachers should…

A program of research related to school-based models for urban children's mental health is described, with a particular focus on improving access to services, promoting children's functioning, and providing for program sustainability. The first study in this series responded to the urgent need to engage more families in mental health services, and…

This qualitative case study reports on processes and outcomes of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded System-Wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE) project at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN). It addresses a critical challenge in studying systemic reform in complex organizations: the lack of methodologies that…

Co-teaching is undertaken because students with disabilities are more likely to have their needs met if their supports are moved to the general education classroom. In co-taught lessons, a special educator and a general educator teach together in the general education classroom during some portion of the instructional day in order to accommodate…

Blended learning is a promising model for supporting teacher professional development that combines the advantages of traditional face-to-face interaction with the flexibility of online learning. In this study, we examine the impact of two one-year blended learning programs on teachers' attitudes, knowledge, and classroom practices. These…

This paper describes the use of cooperative teaching to teach all students in the general education classroom and the three most promising approaches to implementing cooperative teaching: team teaching, supportive learning activities, and complementary instruction. The first method, team teaching, is defined as having the initial presentation of…

This book provides information to help teachers use the Internet in the classroom. Tips from 28 educators note potential pitfalls and offer many perspectives on teaching with the Internet. The educators present their own classroom materials, lesson plans, Web sites, and words of wisdom. Interviews with renowned experts in the field address key…